Strong odor causes discomfort among residents and halts ship operations at the Port of Santos

An operation to unload ammonium sulfate at the Port of Santos caused disruption for residents of the Ponta da Praia and Aparecida neighborhoods, on the coast of São Paulo state. A strong odor led to respiratory irritation and discomfort. According to the Santos Port Authority (APS), the vessel’s operation was suspended.

In a statement, the São Paulo State Environmental Company (Cetesb) said the unloading operation may be resumed once weather conditions are suitable. The vessel is berthed on the left bank of the port, in Guarujá.

The measure was taken after multiple complaints from residents about a strong odor, similar to a gas leak. Speaking to g1, a resident of the Aparecida neighborhood, who asked not to be identified, said he first noticed the strong smell on Monday night (15).

He explained that he had just returned from a trip to São Paulo city and, upon getting out of his car, noticed the strong odor in the neighborhood. He said the building’s doorman reported that other residents had felt unwell during the day.

Another Aparecida resident, who also asked to remain anonymous, said he woke up during the night due to the strong odor. He turned on a fan to disperse the smell and went back to sleep, but later woke up with irritation and blood in nasal secretions.

Further investigation identified the source of the odor as the Chinese-flagged vessel Yu Zhu Feng, berthed on the left bank of the Port of Santos in Guarujá since Monday (15). The ship was unloading ammonium sulfate and had its operation halted by the APS.

The authority added that operations may resume only after a new inspection by the APS, in coordination with Cetesb.

Cetesb said it will take the appropriate administrative measures. “After the inspection report is finalized, the penalty to be applied for the disturbance caused will be defined,” the agency said.

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Source: G1

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