Good morning,
Welcome (back) to Weirdbeautiful.
The Big science news of the week continues to be the accidental release of "Red Sludge" ( a by-product of Aluminium extraction from Bauxite) in Devecser, western Hungary. The sludge :a strongly alkaline mixture containing high levels of Arsenic and Mercury has wreaked havoc, killing seven people so far and injuring hundreds more, after it escaped from a crumbling storage-reservoir. In the short term, part of the problem is that the mixture is so alkaline : in fact, the leak caused parts of the Danube river to turn alkaline, with a pH of around 9.
You can read more about this story just about anywhere, but some of the best coverage is in the IHT -
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/world/europe/06hungary.html?scp=9&sq=red%20sludge&st=cse
In a follow-up to the original story, the IHT also reports that there are now fears that the reservoir may burst again, releasing yet more toxic sludge:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/world/europe/11hungary.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
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