Sandoz chemical spill: Difference between revisions
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The '''Sandoz chemical spill''' was a major [[environmental disaster]] caused by a fire and its subsequent extinguishing at [[Novartis|Sandoz]] agrochemical storehouse in Schweizerhalle, [[Basel-Landschaft]], [[Switzerland]], on November 1, 1986, which released toxic agrochemicals into the air and resulted in tons of pollutants entering the [[Rhine river]], turning it red.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/1/newsid_4679000/4679789.stm 1986: Chemical spill turns Rhine red]. BBC</ref> The chemicals caused a massive mortality of wildlife downstream, killing among other things a large proportion of the [[European eel]] population in the Rhine<ref>Herbert Güttinger & Werner Stumm (1992). An Analysis of the Rhine Pollution caused by the Sandoz Chemical Accident, 1986. ''Interdisciplinary Science Reviews'' 17 (2), 127-136.</ref>, although the situation subsequently recovered within a couple of years.<ref>Anton Lelek & Christian Köhler (1990). Restoration of fish communities of the rhine river two years after a heavy pollution wave. ''Regulated Rivers: Research & Management'' 5 (1): 57-66.</ref> The stored chemicals included, beside [[urea]] and fluorescent dye, [[organophosphate]] insecticides, [[mercury]] compounds and [[organochlorine]]s.<ref>B. Hurni. Sandoz Accident. In: ''Organic Micropollutants in the Aquatic Environment: Proceedings of the Fifth European Symposium, Rome, Italy, October 20-22, 1987''. Boston: Kluwer, 1988. P. 128-131.</ref> Among the major resulting water pollutants were [[dinitro-ortho-cresol]], the ogranophosphate chemicals [[propetamphos]], [[parathion]], [[disulfoton]], [[thiometon]], [[etrimphos]] and [[fenitrothion]], as well as the organochlorine [[metoxuron]].<ref>Efraim Halfon & Rainer Büggemann (2006). Environmental Hazard Ranking of Chemicals Spilled in the Rhine River in November 1986. ''Acta hydrochimica et hydrobiologica'' 17(1), 47-60.</ref> |
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'''Sandoz chemical spill''' was a major environmental disaster caused by [[Sandoz]] factory in [[Switzerland]] in 1986, which sent tons of toxic chemicals to [[Rhine river]] and turned it red.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/1/newsid_4679000/4679789.stm 1986: Chemical spill turns Rhine red]. BBC</ref> |
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The cause of the blaze was never established.<ref>[ |
The cause of the blaze was never established.<ref>[htt://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Police_moot_new_probe_into_Schweizerhalle_blaze.html?cid=1762686 Police moot new probe into Schweizerhalle blaze]. Swiss info.</ref> |
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In 2000 a senior intelligence |
In 2000 [[Vincent Cannistraro]], a former senior U.S. intelligence official, stated that the Soviet [[KGB]] had ordered the East German [[Stasi]] to sabotage the chemical factory. According to him, the operation's objective was to distract attention from the [[Chernobyl disaster]] six months earlier in Ukraine.<ref>KGB ordered Swiss explosion to distract attention from Chernobyl. United Press International. 27 Nov 2000</ref><ref name="sandozirishtimes">[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2000/1123/00112300085.html Stasi accused of Swiss disaster]. The Irish Times. Nov 23, 2000.</ref><ref>Sehnsucht Natur: Ökologisierung des Denkens (2009). Johannes Straubinger.</ref> The Swiss authorities were considering to open investigations again.<ref>[http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Police_moot_new_probe_into_Schweizerhalle_blaze.html?cid=1762686 Police moot new probe into Schweizerhalle blaze]. Swiss info.</ref><ref name="sandozirishtimes"/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:Environmental disasters]] |
[[Category:Environmental disasters]] |
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[[Category:1986 in Switzerland]] |
[[Category:1986 in Switzerland]] |
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[[Category:Novartis]] |
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[[Category:Rhine basin]] |
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Revision as of 01:41, 24 July 2010
The Sandoz chemical spill was a major environmental disaster caused by a fire and its subsequent extinguishing at Sandoz agrochemical storehouse in Schweizerhalle, Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland, on November 1, 1986, which released toxic agrochemicals into the air and resulted in tons of pollutants entering the Rhine river, turning it red.[1] The chemicals caused a massive mortality of wildlife downstream, killing among other things a large proportion of the European eel population in the Rhine[2], although the situation subsequently recovered within a couple of years.[3] The stored chemicals included, beside urea and fluorescent dye, organophosphate insecticides, mercury compounds and organochlorines.[4] Among the major resulting water pollutants were dinitro-ortho-cresol, the ogranophosphate chemicals propetamphos, parathion, disulfoton, thiometon, etrimphos and fenitrothion, as well as the organochlorine metoxuron.[5]
The cause of the blaze was never established.[6]
In 2000 Vincent Cannistraro, a former senior U.S. intelligence official, stated that the Soviet KGB had ordered the East German Stasi to sabotage the chemical factory. According to him, the operation's objective was to distract attention from the Chernobyl disaster six months earlier in Ukraine.[7][8][9] The Swiss authorities were considering to open investigations again.[10][8]
References
- ^ 1986: Chemical spill turns Rhine red. BBC
- ^ Herbert Güttinger & Werner Stumm (1992). An Analysis of the Rhine Pollution caused by the Sandoz Chemical Accident, 1986. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 17 (2), 127-136.
- ^ Anton Lelek & Christian Köhler (1990). Restoration of fish communities of the rhine river two years after a heavy pollution wave. Regulated Rivers: Research & Management 5 (1): 57-66.
- ^ B. Hurni. Sandoz Accident. In: Organic Micropollutants in the Aquatic Environment: Proceedings of the Fifth European Symposium, Rome, Italy, October 20-22, 1987. Boston: Kluwer, 1988. P. 128-131.
- ^ Efraim Halfon & Rainer Büggemann (2006). Environmental Hazard Ranking of Chemicals Spilled in the Rhine River in November 1986. Acta hydrochimica et hydrobiologica 17(1), 47-60.
- ^ [htt://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Police_moot_new_probe_into_Schweizerhalle_blaze.html?cid=1762686 Police moot new probe into Schweizerhalle blaze]. Swiss info.
- ^ KGB ordered Swiss explosion to distract attention from Chernobyl. United Press International. 27 Nov 2000
- ^ a b Stasi accused of Swiss disaster. The Irish Times. Nov 23, 2000.
- ^ Sehnsucht Natur: Ökologisierung des Denkens (2009). Johannes Straubinger.
- ^ Police moot new probe into Schweizerhalle blaze. Swiss info.