the cyanide spill at baia mare, romania...
TRANSCRIPT
The Cyanide Spill at Baia Mare, Romania (2000)
Nóra-Csilla VICSAIUniversity of Cluj-Napoca
XIV.TH EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON WATER
June 26th - July 7th, 2011Cagliari
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The Accident
•• January 30, 2000
•• Break in a dam encircling a tailing pond
•• Aurul SA
•• 100,000 m3
of water
•• 50 – 100 t of cyanide and heavy metals
14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
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Baia Mare and Sourranding- a health risk hotspot (WHO)
• Maramures county
•• mining tradition
•
•• 7 key mining sites
•• 215 tailing dams
14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
Spread of the Cyanide Spill
14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
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• Săsar • Lăpuș• Someș• Tisa • Danube
SERBIA
UKRAINE
HUNGARY
ROMANIA
The Company: Aurul SA
Australian-romanian
Esmeralda
Remin
May, 1999
2,5 million t of tailings
1,6 t of Au
9 t of Ag
10-12 years
Year
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14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
The facility of Aurul SA
Cause of the Accident
•Heavy rains• Snow melting
“growth gradually over time”
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14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
Heavy metals
Are “bio-accumulative”
Effects:
• stomach distress
• kidney damage
• physical & mental
development
• cancer
Most harmful: 7
14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
Lead
Nickel
Aluminium
Cyanide (CN)
Blocking the ingenstion of oxygen
Acute effects:
• rapid breathing
• nervous system
Chronic effects:
• weight loss
• nerve damage
No accumulation
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14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
Rapidbreathing
Stomack distress
Kidney damage
Cancer
Heartproblems
Mental development
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• cyanide 80 x over the limit (10 µg/L)
14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
• 1,240 t of dead fish (HU)• destroyed water plankton• quick recovery
• distance from the source
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14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011
Does it worth?
Thank you for your patience!11
14th European Seminar on Geography of Water Cagliari, 2011