Cat Falls Into Toxic Chemical Vat In Japan; Authorities Warned To Stay Away

Residents in a Japanese city have been cautioned not to approach or touch a missing cat, which looks to have fallen into a vat of hazardous chemicals before scampering away.

Cat Carrying Harmful Chemical

A surveillance camera captured footage of the cat escaping, leaving yellowish-brown pawprints on the factory floor at Nomura Plating in Fukuyama.

Residents have reportedly been urged to keep an eye out for the cat that appears to be acting strangely and to stay away since it may be carrying harmful chemicals on its body.

It was unclear if the cat ingested the chemical. However, the authorities believe that the cat might have died due to the incident.

The vat held the hazardous substance hexavalent chromium. The chemical can cause skin irritation, breathing issues, and blindness.

The cat's location and fate remain unclear.

The factory's owner claimed the tank was covered with a sheet, but that a portion of it had been turned over.

The company warned that factory workers must wear masks and rubber gloves while handling the chemical.

"The incident woke us up to the need to take measures to prevent small animals like cats from sneaking in, which is something we had never anticipated before," the spokesperson of the company said.

Hexavalent Chromium's Effect

According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), hexavalent chromium, commonly known as chromium 6, can cause rashes, irritation, eye and skin damage, and lung cancer if inhaled.

Workers at the plant must wear masks and rubber gloves when handling the chemical. It is widely used for anti-corrosion metal coating, wood preservation, and textile coloring.

It has been found in groundwater as a result of industrial contamination, as well as at natural gas compression plants where it is used as an anti-corrosion agent in cooling water.

In 2008, the National Toxicology Program, or NTP, discovered a significant increase in stomach and intestinal cancers in rats and mice who received chromium-6 in drinking water.

In 2015, California researchers discovered an elevated risk of stomach cancer among workers exposed to chromium-6.

In 2010, the EPA completed a draft health assessment and concluded that even modest doses of chromium-6 could raise cancer risk. The agency is in the process of updating this assessment.

Chronic exposure to chromium-6 in drinking water can also harm the liver and reproductive systems, as well as cause lab animals' offspring to lose weight and delay skeletal development.

Scientists have identified newborns, children, and antacid users, as well as persons with impaired liver function, as being more vulnerable to chromium-6 exposure.

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Sympathize With The Feline

Social media users in Japan, a country known for its cat cafes and fortunate cat figurines, rushed to sympathize with the animal and criticize the corporation for the occurrence.

"I can't understand why the cat is being reported as a vermin, a wild animal, the bad one here," one social media user wrote, blaming the company instead.

"The cat that fell in the chemical tank must be so uncomfortable and in so much pain right now," said another.

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