
1. Acute exposure: Acute exposure to ethyl acrylate vapor may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, with tearing, runny nose, and burning of the throat. 2. Chronic exposure: Chronic exposure to ethyl acrylate may cause skin sensitization, with redness, swelling, and itching of the affected areas. Authorities say a strong chemical odor that blanketed the New Orleans area came from the Dow chemical plant in Hahnville.
Rodney Mallett, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, said the plant released the chemical ethyl acrylate around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. A St. Charles Parish spokeswoman Renee Allemand Simpson said officials were told by Dow that a crack had developed along a seam in a tank at the plant and the chemical was being pumped from the tank.