A cloud of vapour drifts over the Firth of Forth after the spillage

Here, chartered chemist Dr Mel Cooke, director of regulatory consultancy at Alchemy Compliance, answers questions about the substance.

What is Divinylbenzene?

Divinylbenzene is a colourless-to-pale-yellow liquid chemical, used as a component of polymeric products such as synthetic rubber, plastics and resins.

How dangerous is it?

The chemical can spontaneously polymerise and give off heat, which helps the chemical vaporise. This reaction is normally prevented by the addition of a stabilising chemical.

Divinylbenzene is not normally expected to produce high levels of vapour, but if the temperature of the liquid exceeds 70 degrees Celsius, it is possible that a spark could ignite the vapour and cause a fire.

What are the health effects of exposure to Divinylbenzene?

In the short term, people breathing the vapour normally suffer irritation, particularly to the sensitive eye, nose and throat areas.

There is not much information on the long-term effects, although laboratory studies have indicated that nasal damage following repeated exposure could be a factor.

However, this type of damage would only be expected in a workplace where the substance is used in an uncontrolled way.

What are the environmental effects of Divinylbenzene?

The chemical can cause long-lasting problems if it gets into rivers and is considered by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency to be toxic to organisms such as fish and other water plants.

What is likely to happen now?

The authorities will need to determine how much of the chemical was released into the environment, and where it went.

It is possible to estimate exposures to both people and the environment using computer technology, which can then be used to determine the likelihood of adverse effects and help put in place precautionary measures.