Toxic Sludge from Hungarian Alumina Plant Finds its Way into the Danube

Added by James Morley on October 8, 2010

Toxic sludge from the alumina plant reservoir made its way into River Danube in Hungary.

According to the prime minister and other experts, the sludge threatens ecology and has to be controlled.

According to experts working on the case, the spill wouldn’t be a big deal outside Hungary but still needs close observation. Tibor Dobson, working with a Hungarian disaster crew, said that Marcal River had all its fish killed as it was the first to be affected by the spill.

There were also random fish deaths in the Mosoni-Danube and Raba rivers.

The toxic spill busted from an alumina plant reservoir a few days ago, making its way to villages around, causing deaths and injuring many people.

Crews working on the case tried to reduce the toxicity of the sludge to avoid further harm. pH levels of 6 to 8 are usually considered non-toxic but the rivers that were affected had about 9 which later peaked to 9.65 increasing the alkalinity and the danger posed.

This forced crews to use acetic acid and plaster to reduce the alkalinity.

Philip Weller who is the executive secretary to the ICPDR, a commission meant to protect Danube River, said that a lot had been done to reduce the dangers.