Sukinda India HexavalentChromiumEXTC - SEM V

ROLL Nos. : 22 - 28

LINFEN,CHINA

Number of people potentially affected: 3,000,000 

Type of pollutant: Coal and particulates 

Source of pollution: Automobile and industrial emissions

Number of people potentially affected: 140,000 

Type of pollutant: Lead and other heavy metals

 Source of pollution: Mining and processing

TIANYING,CHINA

Sukinda,India

Sukinda is a town in Jajpur district, Orissa, India. It has the dubious distinction of being listed as the third most-polluted place in the world.

Sukinda has an abundance of chromite deposits, which is around 97% of India's total deposits.

This makes it among the world's 10 most polluted places.

Around 12 mines operate in the area without proper environmental controls. Pollution caused by the mines is a major health hazard.

Hexavalent Chromium

It is Chromium in its 6th oxidation state

It is used for  production of stainless steel, textile dyes, wood preservation, leather tanning, and as anti-corrosion and conversion coatings

Number of people potentially affected : 

2,600,000 

Type of pollutant :  Hexavalent chromium

and other metals 

Source of pollution :  Chromite mines and

processing

In Sukinda, which contains one of the largest open cast chromite ore mines in the world, 60% of the drinking water contains hexavalent chromium at levels more than double international standards.

An Indian health group estimated that 84.75% of deaths in the mining areas — where regulations are nonexistent —are due to chromite-related diseases. There has been virtually no attempt to clean up the contamination.

Women workers are exposed to contaminated dust and water. Common ailments are gastrointestinal bleeding, tuberculosis and asthma.

Untreated sewage and mercury-contaminated sludge continue to be dumped haphazardly from chlor-alkali industries.

Status of Clean-Up Activity

Sukinda is a classic example of pollution where the wastes are spread over a large area and residents are affected by the chromium through multiple pathways.

The pollution problem from the chromite mines is well known and the mining industry has taken some steps to reduce the levels of contamination by installing treatment plants.

However, according to state audits from Orissa, these fail to meet agency regulations. The Orissa government has said, "It is unique, it is gigantic and it is beyond the means and purview of the [Orissa Pollution Control] Board to solve the problem.“

Various organizations have carried out studies proving the debilitating health impacts of the toxic pollution. However, remediation actions remain piecemeal with no decisive plans to provide for effective health monitoring and abatement programs.

Special Transportation to avoid Cr6 Contamination

Water is transportation is done is special coated tankers

EPI coatings

References

mines.nic.in

www.worstpolluted.org

www.time.com