A city in Japan is on high alert after a cat fell into a hazardous chemical tank and disappeared overnight.
Officials in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, reported that they have increased patrols and warned residents to avoid approaching the animal. The cat was last seen on security cameras leaving a plating factory on March 10.
A paw print leading to a hexavalent chromium tank that is 3 meters deep was discovered by a worker on February 11. According to officials, this is a carcinogenic chemical that can cause rashes and inflammation if touched or inhaled.
Paw print believed to be from the cat that fell into the hexavalent chromium chemical tank at a plating factory in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture.
An official from Fukuyama City Hall stated that searches in the neighborhood have yet to locate the cat, and it remains unclear whether the animal is still alive.
Meanwhile, Akihiro Kobayashi, manager of the Nomura Mekki Fukuyama factory, mentioned that a chemical tank cover was found partially torn when staff returned to work after the weekend, and they were advised to be cautious of the cat.
Kobayashi also added that factory workers typically wear protective gear and that no health issues have been reported at this time.
Hexavalent chromium, or Chromium-6, is most famously known as a carcinogen in the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich”, starring Julia Roberts.
The film is based on a real-life lawsuit that highlights the struggle of activists against a company accused of contaminating water sources and increasing cancer rates and mortality among residents in a rural California community.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this chemical “harms the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.” “Workers may be harmed when exposed to hexavalent chromium,” the CDC states on its website. The level of exposure depends on dosage, duration, and the work being performed.
