title: The red mud accident in Ajka (Hungary): characterization and potential health effects of fugitive dust.
abstract: As a result of a tragic industrial accident, a highly alkaline red mud sludge inundated settlements and agricultural areas near Ajka, Hungary on October 4, 2010. One of the major concerns about the aftermaths of the accident is the potential health effects of vast amounts of fugitive dust from red mud sediment. Thus, we studied the chemical and physical properties of particles of red mud and its respirable fugitive dust, and performed toxicity measurements. Under unfavorable meteorological conditions dry red mud sediment could emit very high amounts of respirable alkaline particles into the air. The number size distribution of fugitive dust peaks above 1 μm aerodynamic diameter; therefore, its inhalation is unlikely to affect the deep regions of the lungs. No significant mineralogical or elemental fractionation was observed between the sediment and dust, with the major minerals being hematite, cancrinite, calcite, and hydrogarnet. Although the high resuspension potential and alkalinity might pose some problems such as the irritation of the upper respiratory tract and eyes, based on its size distribution and composition red mud dust appears to be less hazardous to human health than urban particulate matter.
authors.affiliation: University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gelencsér
authors.forename: Nóra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kováts
authors.forename: Beatrix
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turóczi
authors.forename: Ágnes
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Rostási
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffer
authors.forename: Kornélia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imre
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nyirő-Kósa
authors.forename: Dorottya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Csákberényi-Malasics
authors.forename: Ádám
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Tóth
authors.forename: Aladár
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czitrovszky
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Szabolcs
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ács
authors.forename: Anikó
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.forename: Árpád
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Ferincz
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hartyáni
authors.forename: Mihály
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pósfai
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012722:Sewage; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D012722:Sewage