Hungary's Toxic Waters

The small town of Kolotar, Hungary has been devastated by a chemical spill from a nearby industrial plant. The thing that has some many people worried is the fact that the chemicals are toxic to human health. The sludge consists of Iron oxide, Aluminium oxide, Silicon dioxide, Calcium oxide, Titanium dioxide, and Oxygen-bonded sodium oxide.

Iron oxide: Gives the sludge its reddish color

Aluminium oxide: Caused cancer when tested on animals

Silicon dioxide: Can cause lung diseases and cancer if inhaled as dust

Calcium oxide: ‘Quicklime’ can cause skin irritations, burns and sickness

Titanium dioxide: Caused cancer when tested on animals

Oxygen-bonded sodium oxide: By product of aluminum process

This seems to be on the biggest ecological disaster in International history. The animal life in the marcal river, which leads into the Danube, had been extinguished. The spill has also taken many lives such as those who have drowned due to the depth of the flood, 6.5ft in some case. Many that have been injured suffer from chemical burns.

It is estimated up to one million cubic meters of sludge had burst from a reservoir on Monday, destroying hundreds of homes. Workers have poured quantites of clay and acid into streams to neutralize it. This method seems to be working since the level on Friday was at pH8-8.2 down from pH9. Water itself is a pH 7 when neutral, with safety levels ranging from pH6.5 to pH 8.5

Never the less we are still hopeful. Mr. Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, said: "The good news is that we have succeeded in bringing it under control and very probably waters threatening the environment will not enter the Danube, even on Hungarian territory.”……….."We managed to take control of the situation in time."

Question:

What else do you think should be done about this?