Methyl isocyanate (MIC) exposure and its consequences on human health at Bhopal.

The worst chemical industrial disaster occurred in Bhopal, India at a pesticide plant on the night of 2-3 December 1984 killing approximately 2500 people immediately and many more subsequently as a consequence of the toxic effects of the methyl isocyanate released from the plant. The main toxic effects were observed on the lungs, the eyes and on reproductive health. A wide spectrum of lung diseases varying from obstructive airways disease to interstitial lung fibrosis has been reported to occur in the gas-exposed subjects, many of them leading life as respiratory cripples. Corneal opacities and early onset cataracts in younger populations were also observed. There was a high incidence of spontaneous abortions and still-births in gas-exposed pregnant women and there were also significantly higher perinatal and neonatal mortalities in the affected areas. Many gas-exposed individuals suffered from psychiatric disorders. There is inadequate compensation to the victims considering the severity of the recognised consequences of the disaster. The punishment meted out to the guilty can be considered trivial in relation to the adverse human outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]