There is no risk of a biological or environmental catastrophe in the Danube river as alkalinity levels
from a toxic alumina sludge spill have declined, Hungary's interior minister said this morning.
Sandor Pinter also told a news conference Monday's spill in western Hungary had not affected drinking water so far. Government spokeswoman Anna Nagy said there would be no impact on food safety.
Tibor Dobson, a spokesman for Hungarian disaster crews, said fresh data showed pH levels of 8-8.2 in the Danube, which could be considered "normal", down from a level of around 9 when the sludge reached the river yesterday.
"This data give us hope . . . and we have not experienced any damage on the main Danube so far," Mr Dobson said
Crews have strived to reduce the alkaline content of Monday's spill from a containment reservoir of an alumina plant.
Mr Dobson said there had been reports of sporadic fish death yesterday in the Raba and Mosoni-Danube rivers.
The spill's alkaline content when it reached the Raba, the Mosoni-Danube and the Danube rivers yesterday was still around pH 9 - above the harmless range of 6-8.
All fish had died in the smaller Marcal River, which was struck by the spill first with much higher alkaline levels. Crews are monitoring water quality on the Danube, one of Europe's longest rivers, as the pollution moved downstream towards Budapest.
Hungary declared a state of emergency in three counties on Tuesday after the sludge, waste from bauxite refining that has a strong caustic effect, hit Kolontar, Devecser and other villages 160km west of Budapest.
Four people were killed, and more than 150 injured in the disaster. Experts said they hoped the pollution would remained contained and not go beyond Hungary's borders.
In the villages swamped by sludge, disaster crews, military and local villagers are clearing away the rubble and continuing o search for the three missing people.
Many people suffered from burns and eye ailments caused by the caustic effect and corrosive elements in the mud.
Agencies