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The 1984 Bhopal accident in India resulted in severe consequences with more than a thousand people dying in the immediate vicinity of the Union Carbide facility. After this tragedy, the implementation of landuse and zoning restrictions around hazardous installations got accepted worldwide as an important strategy reducing consequences from potential industrial accidents. Many European countries have already formulated specific landuse planning policies taking industrial risks into account. However, till date India is yet to effectively employ risk assessment techniques for landuse planning decisions around industrial clusters, as well as the relevant acceptability or tolerability criteria are yet to be formulated. In this paper, we have applied the classical quantitative risk assessment method to map cumulative risk levels arising from a number of hazardous installations located in Haldia, a densely populated area where several industrial plants storing and processing dangerous substances are located. The risk maps were prepared using common GIS tools and functions, and their sensitivity to various factors ascertained using uncertainty analysis techniques. Through the analysis of some reference plants, the aim of the paper is to underline the current difficulties an analyst has to face to determine confident risk maps as a basis for planning the uses of land due to deficiencies in the Indian legislation and the lack of guidelines. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The world’s worst industrial disaster, at Union Carbide, Bhopal, India, took place on 2–3 December 1984, leading to the leakage of poisonous methyl-isocyanate into the environment, causing thousands of deaths, pregnancy loss and for some, incapacitation for life. More than a quarter of a century later, the Indian Council of Medical Research undertook to redefine the abysmal consequences of the toxic gas exposure on the exposed population. This invigorated the interest of scientific community in the evaluation of the long-term effects, with reference to cytogenetic parameters. The thrust area was identified in terms of genetic disorders, low birth weight, developmental/growth disorders and congenital malformations. Also the impact on epigenetic factors, which may have contributed to variations in the functional expression of genes, was not negated, stimulating intense scientific research on in utero exposure and the progeny of the exposed population. To accomplish this mammoth task, molecular cytogenetic investigations must be undertaken in conjunction with conventional cytogenetics, using techniques such as FISH, Immuno-FISH, SKY and SNP analysis, to build up a cytogenetic database of the surviving population.

Background & objectives: A large numbers of subjects were exposed to the aerosol of methyl isocyanate (MIC) during Bhopal gas disaster and lung was one of the most commonly affected organs. The aim of the present study was to analyze retrospectively the lung function abnormalities among the surviving MIC exposed population (gas victims) and to compare it with the non-MIC exposed (non gas exposed) population. Methods: The spirometry data of both gas victims and non gas exposed population who attended the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre for evaluation of their respiratory complaints from August 2001 to December 2009, were retrospectively evaluated and compared. Results: A total 4782 gas victims and 1190 non gas exposed individuals performed spirometry during the study period. Among the gas victims, obstructive pattern was the commonest (50.8%) spirometric abnormality followed by restrictive pattern (13.3%). The increased relative risk of developing restrictive abnormality among gas victims was observed in 20-29 yr age group only (adjusted relative risk: 2.94, P

Context: Survivors of the Bhopal gas disaster still suffer from various respiratory ailments. We examined the effects of exposures among a cross-section of current residents suffering from COPD by ISSR-PCR. Aims: Molecular screening of the gas-affected population of Bhopal with COPD for microsatellite instability due to exposure of MIC. Settings and Design: The isocyanate-exposed population of Bhopal city suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder. Materials and Methods: Inter-(SSR) analysis was used to characterize microsatellite instability in 52 MIC victims of Bhopal, suffering from COPD using (CA) 8 RG and (CA) 8 R[Y-Q] primer. Statistical Analysis Used: Association analyses were performed using regression analysis. Results: The study on the MIC-affected population in Bhopal showed weak association between microsatellite instability and age (r = + 0.37); exposure distance from site (r = −0.44); and smoking status(r = + 0.12); while regression analysis of the above parameters displayed supporting evidence. Conclusions: The high prevalence of smoking coupled with aging and poor living habits threatens, to further increase COPD incidences among this population, highlighting the need for enhanced screening efforts.