Industrial hot spots Tisza river basin
On 30 January 2000 a tailing dam at the Aurul Mine in Romania overflowed and released 100,000 cubic metres of effluent containing cyanide into the Tisza River. By the time the overflow was detected, the alarm raised and emergency measures taken to staunch the flow, heavily contaminated wastewater had reached the Danube River and was on its way to Hungary and beyond. Traces of cyanide, albeit at a very low level, were still detected in the river water when it reached the Black Sea two weeks later.
Year: 2006
From collection: Environment and Poverty Times #3: Disaster issue
Cartographer: Emmanuelle Bournay