Twenty years on, the verdict on how the Indian state has responded to Bhopal should be unequivocal: not only did it neglect its responsibilities, it actively suppressed the rights of the victims.

The multi-disciplinary study of histopathology and toxicology of Bhopal gas tragedy resolved several issues. First, the progression of severe pulmonary oedema to chronic fibrosis was confirmed experimentally, following a single exposure to MIC. Analysis of the residue in Tank 610 revealed over 21 chemicals.

The authors have reviewed studies of human health effects that resulted from exposure
to methyl isocyanate gas that leaked from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India,
in 1984. The studies were conducted during both the early and late recovery periods. Major
organs exposed were the eyes, respiratory tract, and skin. Although mortality was initially

Nine years after the Bhopal methyl isocyanate disaster, we examined the effects of exposures among a cross-section of current residents and a subset of those with persistent symptoms. We estimated individual exposures by developing exposure indices based on activity, exposure duration, and distance of residence from the plant.

Original Source

This paper describes the inadequacies in the response of the Union Carbide Corporation to the accidental release of the highly toxic gas, methyl isocyanate, from its plant in Bhopal, India in 1984. Over 20,000 people are estimated to have died from exposure to this gas since 1984, with some 120,000 chronically ill survivors. Union Carbide fought to avoid compensation or to keep it very low.