Chemical accidents that injured or killed people have risen by nearly 50 percent in recent years. Physicist Ronald Koopman's 2018 presentation on hydrofluoric acid dispersion and water mitigation testing has taken on new urgency.
Hydrofluoric acid is a highly corrosive and dangerous chemical used in manufacturing refrigerants, gasoline, and fluoropolymers. Koopman's experiments in the 1980s warned about the potential for deadly accidents at facilities using hazardous materials.
The Trump administration's proposed roll back of safety rules intended to protect workers and communities from industrial chemical releases has raised concerns about the increasing rate of chemical accidents.
