Benzene (M = 78.11 kg/kmol) is a carcinogen, and exposure to benzene increases the risk of cancer and other illnesses in humans. A truck transporting liquid benzene was involved in an accident that spilled the liquid on a flat highway. The liquid benzene forms a pool of approximately 10 m in diameter on the highway. In this particular windy day at 25°C and 1 atm with an average wind velocity of 10 m/s, the liquid benzene surface is experiencing mass transfer to air by convection. Nearby at the downstream of the wind is a residential area that could be affected by the benzene vapor. Local health officials have assessed that if the benzene level in the air reaches 500 kg within the hour of the spillage, residents should be evacuated from the area. If the benzene vapor pressure is 10 kPa, estimate the mass transfer rate of benzene being convected to the air, and determine whether the residents should be evacuated or not.

Transcribed Image Text:

Air 25°C 25°C Liquid benzene