In Japan, they love Godzilla so much that they’ve now introduced their feline version, and it seems they’ve created a Catzilla after a cat fell into a tub of dangerous chemicals, sparking a health alert. Authorities in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, warned residents not to approach the animal. Searches in the area have yet to find the cat, and it’s unknown if the animal is still alive, according to a Fukuyama City Hall official. Factory employees typically wear protective clothing, and no health issues have been reported among the staff. However, the fact that the cat entered a tub without protection could pose a problem on the streets of the country.
Alert in Japan for Catzilla, a Cat That Fell Into a Container of Chemicals
Japan is estimated to have nine million domestic cats, a number that steadily grows each year. Given that all felines, whether domestic or stray, are characterized by their innate curiosity, finding a trace of pawprints in the factory wasn’t so unusual. What was surprising is that those pawprints were brownish, almost yellowish. And that did pose a serious problem. Following the news, Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture has warned its citizens not to approach or touch a missing feline that fell into a container of toxic chemicals at the Nomura Plating Fukuyama metallurgical factory.
Given the cat’s pawprints, it’s believed the cat fell into the 3-meter tub of the dangerous chemical hexavalent chromium, the most toxic part of the metal, and then emerged from the tank alive and disappeared overnight. The only information about it comes from one of the security cameras. According to the factory manager, the sheet covering the chemical container was partially torn when workers returned after the weekend. That’s why they issued the alert to all citizens because touching this chemical can cause skin inflammation and inhaling it respiratory problems.
But despite the news, the company assures that the cat may not have fallen into the tub; on the contrary, it could have been a spillage of the product on the sheet. It has now been dubbed the radioactive cat, a loose Catzilla.
What Causes Hexavalent Chromium?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that hexavalent chromium compounds are chemicals used to confer corrosion resistance and durability to various objects. It’s used in the manufacturing of pigments, metal finishing, stainless steel production, leather tanning, wood preservatives, printing inks, and fireworks. Hexavalent chromium is harmful to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system, causing rashes and inflammation upon contact or inhalation. In more severe cases, it has caused cancer and death in humans.
This story was written in Spanish by Perla Vallejo in Ecoosfera.
