UN sends experts to Hungary to assess impact of toxic sludge spill

UN sends experts to Hungary to assess impact of toxic sludge spill

2010-10-13 09:28:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday sent a team of experts to Hungary in order to support the assessment of potential immediate and long-term health impacts of the toxic sludge spill.

The United Nations health agency dispatched a team consisting of international experts in evaluating and managing health risks from the environment, especially from contaminated water and chemicals. In addition, the WHO's office for Europe is ready to provide technical assistance if needed.

On Thursday night, Hungarian authorities appealed to the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism to request three to five experts who have strong field experience in handling toxic sludge, decontamination and mitigation of environmental damage. The EU said it had immediately communicated the request to the 31 countries participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The WHO's team will make an expert assessment of the short, medium and long-term effects of the toxic spill on public health in the affected areas. Hungarian authorities will use this information to develop appropriate preventive measures.

Authorities are continuously monitoring the situation and have taken the public health actions required. However, an assessment of the potential health effects is needed due to the possible exposure to dust, water and locally-produced food that may contain increased amounts of heavy metal due to the spill.

Short-term health effects are considered unlikely but potential medium and long-term effects due to contamination from heavy metals can only be assessed as more information becomes available. The risk of contaminated dust spreading from the spill site to neighboring countries is considered negligible.

On October 4, a container barrier burst at an aluminum company and around 600,000 cubic meters of red chemical sludge swept 50 square kilometers (31 miles) that affected the villages of Kolontár, Devecser and Somlóvásárhely. Hundreds of people are unable to return to their residences as they are currently poisoned.

The toxic spill has poisoned local waterways and has killed aquatic life in the Marcal River. The toxic chemicals reached the Danube River on Thursday, threatening to pollute major waterways and immediately affecting neighboring countries Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Hungary's worst ever environmental disaster has killed eight people and left over 120 individuals injured. The immediate health effects of the spill included drowning and chemical burns due to the elevated acidity of the red sludge.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-10-13