Ash from Union Carbide’s toxic waste in Madhya Pradesh found contaminated with heavy metals

INDORE: Laboratory tests conducted on the ashes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, which were inci erated at the Treatment Storage Disposal Facility (TDSF) in Pithampur, Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, revealed the presence of heavy metals.

The Regional Pollution Control Board laboratory identified heavy metals, including nickel, zinc, lead, chromium, cobalt, and mercury in the ash.The ash is to be disposed of in a landfill cell with a capacity of approximately 1,000 tonnes, positioned 1.5 meters above ground to prevent ground seepage.S.N. Dwivedi, the Regional Officer of the Pollution Control Board in Indore, said, “We ran a laboratory test on the ash generated from the incineration process, and the results showed the presence of heavy metals."Gases emitted were tested by Kolkata-based Edward Food Research and Analysis Center Ltd.Dwivedi said, "The ash is packed in special packaging bags and secured under a shed in a protected area and will be transferred to a landfill currently under construction near the incineration facility.”In further analysis of the gases emitted during the incineration, laboratory results indicated that levels of dioxins and furans were below the zero detection limits.

Dwivedi said, “The test was conducted to check for dioxins and furans, which typically form at lower combustion temperatures. Since our process exceeded 1,000 degrees centigrade, we were confident about the outcomes.”The hazardous waste was linked to one of the worst industrial disasters in history, when toxic methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide India Ltd pesticide plant in Bhopal on December 3, 1984, resulting in thousands of deaths and widespread exposure to hazardous materials.The ash generated from this incineration will remain in an on-site shed until November, when it is scheduled for transfer to the newly constructed landfill. This incineration process, which involved approximately 337 metric tons of waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, generated a staggering 899 metric tons of ash and residues.