Question

Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 took place because methyl isocyanate reacted with
(a)DDT
(b)Ammonia
(c)${ CO }_{ 2 }$
(d)Water

Answer 1

Hint: The 1984 Bhopal gas disaster took place because the universal solvent interacted with methyl isocyanate. Even though this solvent offers no calories or organic nutrients, it is essential for all known forms of life.

Complete answer:
The Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident at the Union Carbide pesticide plant on the night of 2-3 December 1984. The leaked gas was methyl isocyanate gas that killed approximately 4000 people and caused thousands of people to be exposed. Methyl isocyanate is an organic compound that functions as an intermediate chemical by reaction with water in the production of carbamate pesticides. Carbamate is also a compound derived from carbamic acid and it is organic. Carbamate is a highly poisonous substance used in rubber and adhesive production.
About 2000 people were killed and 250,000 people were injured. The tragedy happened because, due to inadequate maintenance or other reasons not clearly known, water could get into a tank containing methyl isocyanate. This caused the temperature and pressure within the tank to rise due to a chemical reaction. To stop blasting, the tank valves were triggered in an emergency. As a consequence, a significant number of poisonous gases have been released into the environment.
So, the correct answer is, ‘Water’.

Note: An exothermic chemical reaction that produced a lot of heat began when water and methyl isocyanate were mixed. As a consequence, because of the rise in pressure, the tank's safety valve exploded. This blast was so intense that it also destroyed even the concrete around the tank. When evaporating, the high moisture content (aerosol) in the discharge gave rise to a heavy gas that quickly sunk to the bottom. It caused many of the following illnesses in many surviving persons, such as partial or full blindness, disorders such as gastrointestinal disorders.