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Re-creation and Worse Case Scenario of Accidental Release of Styrene Gas from a Rail Car

Keyes, Sarah Elizabeth

Abstract Details

2009, MS, University of Cincinnati, Medicine : Industrial Hygiene (Environmental Health).
The Release Integrating Terrain Effects (RITE) modeling software predicts the distribution and movement of potentially hazardous chemicals released into the environment. The RITE software incorporates topographical features, parameters for meteorological data such as air temperature, wind direction, wind speed, in addition to duration and rate of gas release. These parameters were used to re-create a styrene gas leak from a rail car near the Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio. Model 1 re-creates the accident, and was intended to be compared to the data collected by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) during the actual incident. Due to the lack of measurements reported by the EPA a sufficient comparison was not able to be drawn. However, the highest concentration levels reported by the re-creation model were 16.6 times higher than the highest reported concentration of styrene during the release event recorded by the U.S. EPA. Models 2-4 were created to evaluate the effect of wind speed and temperature on the resulting plume. Models 3 and 4 showed that the plume is not effected by the air temperature. Models 2 and 3 showed the wind speed did effect the size of the plume (length) which was increased from 0.3333 p to 1.4167 p. Model 3 produced the largest plume in length, followed by Model 4, 1, then 2. When comparing the widths of the produced plumes, Model 1 created the greatest, followed by Models 2 and 3, then 4.
Scott Clark, PhD, CIH (Committee Chair)
Paul Succop, PhD (Committee Member)
Glenn Talaska, PhD (Committee Member)
50 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Keyes, S. E. (2009). Re-creation and Worse Case Scenario of Accidental Release of Styrene Gas from a Rail Car [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1259077613

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Keyes, Sarah. Re-creation and Worse Case Scenario of Accidental Release of Styrene Gas from a Rail Car. 2009. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1259077613.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Keyes, Sarah. "Re-creation and Worse Case Scenario of Accidental Release of Styrene Gas from a Rail Car." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1259077613

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)