Toxic mining waste threatens health near North Macedonia school

Record ID: 1717609

  • Title: Toxic mining waste threatens health near North Macedonia school
  • Date: 24th March 2023
  • Summary: LOJANE, NORTH MACEDONIA (MARCH 9, 2023) (REUTERS) DRONE SHOT OF ARSENIC WASTE DEPOSIT 100 METERS FROM THE SCHOOL (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF SCHOOL WITH CHILDREN PLAYING SOCCER OUTSIDE (MUTE) VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING FOOTBALL OUTSIDE SCHOOL VARIOUS OF TWO TEACHERS CHECKING ARSENIC WASTE CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL ARSENIC WASTE ON GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) GEOGRAPHY TEACHER, AFRIM ZYMBERI, SAYING: “During the geography classes I always tell the pupils not to approach to this landfill of Arsenic, because the Arsenic in the wind can get into their respiratory and other internal organs.” VARIOUS OF ARSENIC WASTE SEEN CLOSE TO AN ABANDONED MINE PROCESSING BUILDING VARIOUS OF ZYMBERI SPEAKING TO PUPILS ABOUT RISKS OF ARSENIC / PUPILS LISTENING SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA (MARCH 9, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAJCE STAFILOV, PROFESSOR AT FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES IN SKOPJE, SHOWING AN ARSENIC SAMPLE AT HIS FACULY. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) PROFESSOR AT FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES IN SKOPJE, TRAJCE STAFILOV, SAYING: “Arsenic, as a heavy metal, it has been for a long time on the list of cancerous materials. It affects on many organs in the organism. It's a toxic for kidney, blood and so on. And if the content is introduced a lot, we have even cancer. You know that in the past arsenic was used as a poisoning material in criminal history, we know.” VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF ARSENIC WASTE CLOSE TO THE RAILWAY STATION AT NORTH MACEDONIA-SERBIA BORDER CROSSING / ABANDONED MINE FACILITY NEARBY (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) STATE COUNSELLOR FOR INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION AND RISK MANAGEMENT, LENDITA DIKA, SAYING: “For different reasons, including the Covid pandemic, the economic crisis, in 2022 the company withdrew from the contract and the situation is as it is. We are informed and we are in constant contact with the ministry of economy, and they have started again the procedures to start the process again because of the interest of the investors.” LOJANE, NORTH MACEDONIA (MARCH 9, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FATMIR SELMANI FILLING HIS WATER FILTER JUG WITH WATER FROM A WELL SELMANI POINTING OUT DEBRIS FILTERED OUT OF THE WELL WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) LOJANE RESIDENT, FATMIR SELMANI, SAYING: “This is the filter, this part here. The waste stays here. After five or six weeks we have to change the filter again. The water has a better taste when it goes through this filter rather than unfiltered.” SELMANI POURING FILTERED WATER INTO A GLASS SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA (MARCH 9, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROFESSOR AT FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES IN SKOPJE, TRAJCE STAFILOV, SAYING: “(They should) immediately to cover (the arsenic waste) at least, and then to take measures like instruction, not to use the water from wells for drinking water. To make analysis, monitoring stations for air pollution monitoring and so on. A lot of activities can be done there.” LOJANE, NORTH MACEDONIA (MARCH 9, 2023) (REUTERS) DRONE SHOT OF THE SCHOOL CLOSE TO THE ARSENIC WASTE WITH CHILDREN PLAYING SOCCER OUTSIDE
  • Embargoed: 7th April 2023 11:33
  • Keywords: arsenic balkans carcinogen environment pollution toxic waste
  • Location: LOJANE AND SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
  • City: LOJANE AND SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA
  • Country: Macedonia
  • Topics: Pollution,Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA001896321032023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The heavy odour gives a hint of the tonnes of toxic waste including arsenic oxide left at a landfill site near where 400 children learn and play at a school in North Macedonia.
    A chromium and antimony mine in the village of Lojane was closed in 1979 and the waste was abandoned, left in the open air, polluting land and underground water supplies.
    "I always tell my pupils not to approach this landfill," Afrim Zymberi, a geography teacher at the school told Reuters, covering his nose from the smell from the dump 100 metres away.
    According to the World Health Organization, arsenic is one of 10 chemicals of major public health concern. It says long-term exposure from drinking water and food can cause cancer.
    According to a 2007 report commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme, 1 million tonnes of waste material were at landfills in and near the village, with toxic concentrations of arsenic, antimony and other hazardous substances. There is no more recent data.
    Some 5,000 tonnes are just a few meters away from the rail line where international trains go from Greece through North Macedonia and into the rest of Europe.
    North Macedonia has identified 16 locations of dangerous industrial waste across the country.
    When the country was part of former Yugoslavia there was little or no attention given to whether the waste harmed people's health. But now, as the Balkan nation aims to join the European Union, it has to do more to clean up its soil.
    Lendita Dika, from the government's Industrial Pollution and Risk Management office, says the arsenic waste has not been removed because they are waiting for investors to buy it.
    She says a Turkish company withdrew from a contract in 2022 due to a lack of economic interest, but a new tender will be opened soon as demand is renewed. Arsenic is used as an alloying agent and also to make glass, pigments, textiles, adhesives and pesticides, the WHO says.
    In the meantime, the government plans to cordon off the area.
    There is no credible data on the effects on people's health but the 2007 report said the arsenic concentration in the soil and water was up to 50 times higher than permitted international standards.
    "(The government should) immediately cover at least, and then to take measures like instructions not to use the water from the wells for drinking," Trajce Stafilov, a professor at the state Faculty of Natural Sciences in Skopje, said.
    Located half kilometre from the border with Serbia, the majority of people in the village use water from wells to drink, and for their cattle or agriculture.
    Pensioner Fatmir Selmani hopes a filter jug provides some protection as he draws water from the well near his house.
    "The water has a better taste when it goes through this filter rather than without being filtered," Selmani said.
    (Production: Fatos Bytyci, Ognen Teofilovski, Thomas Holdstock)
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