methyl isocyanate

American  

noun

1. Chemistry. a highly toxic, flammable, colorless liquid, CH 3 NCO, used as an intermediate in the manufacture of pesticides: in 1984, the accidental release of a cloud of this gas in Bhopal, India, killed more than 1700 people and injured over 200,000.

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Example Sentences

"We cannot confirm the reasons in this paper, but there is evidence the methyl isocyanate gas affected respiratory, neurological, musculoskeletal, ophthalmic, endocrine and reproductive systems, and it damaged human chromosomes," McCord explained.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2023

In the early hours of Dec. 3, 1984, methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide factory, owned by the American company, in the state capital of Madhya Pradesh.

From Reuters • Mar. 14, 2023

On Dec. 3, 1984, thousands of people died after a cloud of methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a pesticide plant operated by a Union Carbide subsidiary in Bhopal, India.

From Washington Times • Dec. 3, 2020

Four of them, methyl isocyanate, acetone, propionaldehyde and acetamide, had not been seen on comets before.

From The Guardian • Jul. 30, 2015

From a medical point of view, doctors agree that the long-term effects of exposure to the Bhopal gas, methyl isocyanate, are still not known so why use the victims for drug trials?

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2012