Plant Poisons and Rotten Stuff – The Blog

“What do you get if you dump 400 tonnes of petrochemical sludge into open tips around one of west Africa’s largest cities?” Asks this week’s edition of the New Scientist, reporting that a Dutch company has dumped toxic waste close to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. “The company says the waste is tank washings from a gasoline tanker, and as it originated aboard a ship rather than on land Trafigura claims it is exempt from the EU ban [on waste dumping]. But it admits the waste contains hazardous material that is subject to the Basel treaty, so the Dutch authorities say the exemption doesn’t apply.”

“The main poison seems to have been hydrogen sulphide – rotten egg gas – with lacings of mercaptan, another sulphureous poison.” The result? “At least seven deaths and up to 40,000 people complaining of vomiting, rash, breathing difficulties and headache.” New Scientist