Explanation:

Styrene gas leaked from Vishakhapatnam based LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd. factory causing multiple deaths. 

• Styrene is an organic compound used in the manufacture of polymers/plastic/resins. It is manufactured in petrochemical refineries.
•  It is actually a colourless liquid, and not a gas.
•  According to India’s Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989, styrene is classified as a ‘hazardous and toxic chemical’.
•  It is unstable and has a high propensity for autopolymerisation, meaning it tries to combine with itself to make long chains, especially at temperatures over 65°C. This process is exothermic and can become uncontrollable. For these reasons, styrene is always stored at relatively low temperatures (between 15°C and 20°C).
• It is a likely carcinogenic substance.
• It can react with oxygen in the air to mutate into styrene dioxide which is more lethal.
• Acute (short-term) exposure to styrene in humans results in mucous membrane and eye irritation and gastrointestinal effects.
• Chronic (long-term) exposure results in impacts on the central nervous system (CNS), leading to headaches, fatigue. If the amount of styrene goes beyond 800 ppm, then the person exposed to it can go into a coma.