Ecologist: I doubt the safety of the substance burned on the  territory of the chemical plant "Nairit"

ArmInfo.The head of the association "For the sake of stable human development", ecologist Karine Danielyan doubts the safety of the substance burnt in the territory of the chemical plant "Nairit". "It's hard to believe that there are no dangerous substances in the burning material," the ecologist said in an interview with ArmInfo.

According to Karine Danielyan, judging by the chemical composition at 

this stage, it is very difficult to unequivocally state that the 

burnt lacquer-ethanol in these volumes does not pose a danger both in 

terms of releasing chemical substances into the atmosphere and 

causing harm to the health of the population of Yerevan. "I think 

it's very important to establish control over the situation and try 

to react quickly," she said.

Earlier, the monitoring group of radiation, chemical and biological 

situations of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia 

conducted a study at the site of the fire at the Nairit chemical 

plant and presented details about the burning substance. According to 

Colonel Valery Bagiyan, Head of Monitoring Department of Radiation, 

Chemical and Biological Situations of the Ministry of Emergency 

Situations of Armenia, 50 tons of lacquer-ethanol or three of the 

four tanks located on the territory of the plant were burned at the 

Nairit plant. "The specified substance is difficult to extinguish 

with water, at present works are performed to cool the tanks, after 

which the combustion will be extinguished with foam," the expert 

said. A preliminary version of the cause of the fire at the plant is 

self-ignition of lacquer-ethanol, since this substance has the 

ability to spontaneous combustion at high temperatures, he noted.

The representative of the Ministry of Emergency Measures assured that 

there is no chemical danger due to the explosion at the chemical 

plant, as there are no harmful emissions to the atmosphere and 

threats to the health of the population. As for the information that 

the firemen working near the fire center were poisoned by smoke and 

they received first aid, then, as the colonel said, the firemen 

sensed only a small lack of oxygen and carbon monoxide emissions, but 

soon returned to service.

The Ministry of Health of Armenia is also confident that the 

substance burned in "Nairit" is not dangerous for health. "The 

substance burning in the territory of the Nairit plant does not pose 

a threat to the population," the Ministry of Health said. In this 

case, the agency refers to the data of the Ministry of Emergency 

Situations. At the same time, the Ministry of Health calls on 

residents of nearby plant areas to close windows and doors, and also 

to refrain from walking. The Ministry of Health with reference to the 

Armenian Hydrometeorological Service also reports that after 17.00, 

wind flows from the northeast to the southwest are predicted, which 

means that the smoke through the Arart Valley will go to Turkey.

Lac-ethanol is a pellicle-forming material, a solution of high 

polymers of acetylene in the xylene fraction, stabilized by 

wood-molyanyantioxide. Lac-ethanol is used both for the painting of 

building structures and for the protection of chemical equipment. It 

can be used for the production of anticorrosive coatings for metal, 

wood and concrete.