7th October in late afternoon through the Hungarian AEWS/ PIAC alert system a message was sent to the Danube countries indicating the mitigation measures and the expected consequences of the accident which had occured at the Ajka alumnia plant a few days ago.

An intensive process of neutralization by bio-acetic acid and Gypsum is ongoing at the Marcal River upstream to its confluence to the Rába, resulting in a near to 9 pH value of the water when reaching the Raba River.

According to the Hungarian Ministry of Rural Development he water will finally arrive at the Danube after a further dilution process in the Rába and the Mosoni-Danube river, so that neither effects to water quality nor harmful health effects are expected for the Danube.

“The Hungarian state’s priority aim is to keep the pollution plume inside the territory of the country, to localize the mud in the Marcal river bed and to prevent that the pollution plume reaches the Danube River via Rába river and Mosoni Danube”, the Hungarian Ministry of Rural Development confirmed.

In the area of the source of the pollution the red mud covering approx. 800 hectars will be neutralized by spreading out gypsum by agricultural airplanes. This measure will be followed by the removal of the upper 2 cm on the contaminated spoil to protect the water sources as well as to avoid the spreading away the dry mud by the wind.

More detailed information on the mitigation activities was provided to the Danube countries via the Hungarian Principle Alert Centre (PIAC ).