The Xpress-Pearl Marine Disaster off Sri Lanka in May 2021: Atmospheric Transport of Pollution from the Fire and Explosion

The cargo exploded on May 25, and the vessel sank on June 2. The ship's cargo manifest included 19,500 MT of solids, 1,050 MT of liquids and powders, and metals, with toxic contents including 25 tons of nitric acid, other chemicals, cosmetics, and lubricants, and 78 MT of plastic nurdles. The air pollution emitted from the disaster could range from 8,000 MT to 13,000 MT if there was complete combustion. However, some of the containers toppled, and a large share of the 12,000 MT of polymers and plastics were dispersed into the ocean. Trajectories from the HYSPLIT model showed that air parcels moved largely South-Westward towards Sri Lanka and beyond, with mean air parcel movement at 100m, 500m, and 1000m vertical height computed from May 21 to June 2. Fine particulate matter (pm2.5) observations sampled every 5 minutes, as well as Automatic Weather Station data sampled every minute for Puttalam, Nawalapitiya, and Colombo, revealed that the wind was largely directed from around the ship locale during the period of the fire and aftermath. However, there was no evidence of a sharp escalation in PM2.5 concentrations at ground level at the daily time step compared to that in the past two years. The study focused on assessing the impact of air pollution from the ship disaster, with a particular emphasis on the dispersion of particulates and toxins across elevations and beyond Sri Lanka to the Bay of Bengal littoral. The researchers also investigated how these particulates and toxins may affect the clouds. The study's findings were presented at the AGU Fall Meeting 2021 in New Orleans, LA, from December 13 to 17, 2021, under the title "Atmospheric Transport of Pollution from the Fire and Explosion of the X-Press Pearl Ship." The ship's cargo included a variety of hazardous materials, including nitric acid, other chemicals, cosmetics, and lubricants, which posed a significant risk to the environment and human health. The study's results highlighted the need for more research on the long-term effects of such disasters on the environment and human health. The researchers also emphasized the importance of developing effective strategies for mitigating the impacts of such disasters in the future.