Latest news with #acidspill
Reuters
6 days ago
- Health
- Reuters
Zambia denies health risks flagged by US embassy over acid spill
LUSAKA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Zambia denied on Thursday that an acid spill in its copper-mining region six months ago still posed a serious health risk, a day after the U.S. embassy restricted travel to the area for U.S. officials citing widespread contamination. The spill occurred in February, when a tailings dam failed at a Chinese-run copper processing plant, spewing 50,000 cubic metres of acidic slurry into nearby rivers. The Southern African country's government has sought to clean up affected areas using lime to lower acidity levels and said there was no need for alarm. "Laboratory results show that the pH (acidity) levels have returned to normal and concentrations of heavy metals are steadily decreasing, which means that the immediate danger to human, animal and plant life has been averted," government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa told a press conference. Water and sanitation minister Collins Nzovu said Zambia would speak to the U.S. over the concerns it had raised. The U.S. health alert, opens new tab on Wednesday said the acid spill had polluted water and soil around the town of Chambishi where the plant is located and that contaminants could also become airborne. The company that operates the plant, Sino Metals Leach Zambia, has cooperated fully with the government and is paying for mitigation measures, Mweetwa said. A spokesperson for Sino Metals Leach Zambia did not respond to Reuters' questions on Thursday, stating the company had nothing to add to the government's comments on the acid spill.
CBS News
06-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Acid spill at Cold Springs Pilgrim's plant sends 26 to hospital, police say
Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines More than two dozen people were hospitalized after an acid spill at a chicken facility in central Minnesota Friday morning, police said. A peracetic acid spill occurred at the Pilgrim's facility on the 800 block of Sauk River Road in Cold Spring around 8:15 a.m., according to the city's police department. The spill was contained and the facility was evacuated. Twenty-six people were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said peracetic acid is often used as a cleaning agent. In poultry facilities, it is often used "to reduce bacterial contamination and foot spoilage," the FDA said. The acid's concentrated form can cause "irreversible damage to skin and eyes," the FDA said, while the diluted forms can cause eye, nose, throat and respiratory irritation. The Pilgrim's facility recently underwent a $75 million expansion. Cold Spring is about 80 miles northwest of Minneapolis. This story will be updated.
