How did the cyanide spill happen?
How did the cyanide spill happen?
On January 30, 2000, due to excessive amounts of snowfall a dam holding contaminated waters burst. This allowed 100,000 cubic meters of cyanide-contaminated water to spill over into farmlands and the Somes river.
What happened Baia Mare cyanide spill?
The Baia Mare Cyanide Spill was a cyanide leak that occurred on January 30th, 2000 near Baia, Romania. The cyanide leaked into the Somes River after a dam burst and eventually reached Tisza and the Danube, resulting in the deaths of large numbers of fish.
What caused the disaster in the Tisza river?
The cyanide pollution of the rivers Szamos and Tisza was caused by AURUL, an Australian-Romanian joint company that is situated in the area of the Romanian Baia Mare (Nagybánya). The environmental damage that spread over to Hungary was the result of the rupture of the dam of the reservoir containing cyanide.
What problems did the gold mine in Romania in 2000 cause?
Water Contamination and Political Crisis A gold mine—jointly owned by Romania and an Australian company—dumped cyanide-tainted water into a major river in Romania in January 2000, killing fish and endangering the health of people in several countries.
How do you clean up a cyanide spill?
Do not attempt to clean up any spill if not trained or comfortable. Since cyanides will react with water to produce toxic hydrogen cyanide gas, never attempt to clean up cyanide spills with plain water. Evacuate the area and call 911 for help. If the spill is out of control, call 911.
How is cyanide used in mining?
A sodium cyanide solution is commonly used to leach gold from ore. The cyanide dissolves the gold from the ore into the solution as it trickles through the heap. The pad collects the now metal-impregnated solution which is stripped of gold and resprayed on the heap until the ore is depleted.
What is the Tisza Danube cyanide spill?
On January 30th 2000, the dam containing toxic waste material from the Baia Mare Aurul gold mine in North Western Romania burst and released 100,000 cubic meters of waste water, heavily contaminated with cyanide, into the Lapus and Somes tributaries of the river Tisza, one of the biggest in Hungary.
What are other forms of pollution for the Danube River?
The most significant factors that affecting water quality of the Danube River basin are: organic pollution, nutrient pollution, hazardous substances pollution, microbial pollution (contamination), alterations due to the hydro morphological pressure (Gasparotti C. et all.
How do you neutralize hydrogen cyanide?
Hydrogen cyanide can be neutralized with a variety of chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite (bleach), which will convert it to the less toxic isocyanate species. Sodium thiosulfate will convert it to thiocyanate, which is less toxic.
How can cyanide be prevented?
If you think you may have been exposed to cyanide, you should remove your clothing, rapidly wash your entire body with soap and water, and get medical care as quickly as possible. Removing your clothing: Quickly take off clothing that may have cyanide on it.
What can cause cyanide poisoning in an animal?
Cyanide poisoning in animals usually results from ingestion of plants containing cyanogenic glycosides. Poisoning may also occur when cyanide is inhaled as gaseous hydrogen cyanide or is ingested in the chemical forms of sodium and potassium cyanide, but these causes are very uncommon in animals. Cyanide poisoning is rare in horses.
Where did the cyanide go after the Baia Mare spill?
After the spill, the Someș had cyanide concentrations of over 700 times the permitted levels. The Someș flows into the Tisza, Hungary’s second largest river, which then flows into the Danube.
What happens to the body when exposed to cyanide?
Death from poisoning usually results from respiratory or heart failure. A person exposed to cyanide may have cherry-red skin from high oxygen levels or dark or blue coloring, from Prussian blue (iron-binding to the cyanide ion). Also, skin and body fluids may give off an odor of almonds.
How can I reduce the amount of cyanide in my livestock?
Most livestock losses occur when hungry or stressed animals graze young sorghum growth. Do not graze new growth or regrowth in sorghum or sorghum-sudan pastures. Feeding grain or hay before turning animals into pasture may reduce the rapid intake of forage and, thus, the amount of cyanide consumed.
Cyanide poisoning in animals usually results from ingestion of plants containing cyanogenic glycosides. Poisoning may also occur when cyanide is inhaled as gaseous hydrogen cyanide or is ingested in the chemical forms of sodium and potassium cyanide, but these causes are very uncommon in animals. Cyanide poisoning is rare in horses.
What was the level of cyanide in the Danube?
Biologists say that any level above 0.02 mg per litre is harmful to life. The spill was moving at about 2.5mph. In Szeged hundreds of people gathered on bridges to throw flowers into the Tisza, which is much loved in Hungary, where it is regarded as cleaner and more beautiful than the Danube.
Where did the cyanide spill in Romania come from?
The spill, which originated in northern Romania, where a dam at the Baia Mare gold mine overflowed last month and caused cyanide to flow into streams, has not been diluted to a safe level despite winter rains.
Where did the 2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill happen?
The 2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill was a leak of cyanide near Baia Mare, Romania, into the Someș River by the gold mining company Aurul, a joint-venture of the Australian company Esmeralda Exploration and the Romanian government.