Update: Anochrome Ltd admits spilling toxic chemical into Walsall canal

ANOCHROME LTD, a company that provides electroplating and coatings, has said it is the source of a toxic sodium cyanide spill that has sparked a major incident in the UK.

The company said “a chemical incident” occurred at its Walsall site on Monday. “Regrettably, as a result, some of the released chemicals entered a canal in Walsall.”

The Midlands-based company said it immediately notified the authorities after discovering the leak. The Environment Agency is investigating the company to establish the cause of the spill and is carrying out a detailed testing programme as it seeks to understand the impact on wildlife and the environment and protect against further damage. At high enough concentrations, sodium cyanide can be fatal. Dead fish have been photographed floating in the canal.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Pollution of this kind is unacceptable and the impact on wildlife and the environment can be severe. We will take robust enforcement action if non-compliance is uncovered. We have established a sampling and testing programme and urge the public to follow safety advice given by the local council.”

Walsall Council says the spillage has been stopped. It has asked that the public continue to avoid the extended area of the canal and towpaths from the Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at Rushall/Ryders Green and Perry Barr (see map).

To prevent the pollution from spreading, the Canal and River Trust has installed a temporary dam across the canal. The Environment Agency has not immediately responded to requests for information about its testing procedures or decontamination processes.

Alastair Hay, professor emeritus of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds, said: “Once in water the sodium cyanide will break down in part to hydrogen cyanide, which being lighter than air will rise into the air and disperse. As long as people are kept away from the area affected there should be no risk as hydrogen cyanide – the principal concern – will disperse. This is why the authorities will have cordons in place.

“I doubt they will decide to drain a section of the canal, but this will depend on how much has been released. Decisions about risk will be governed by the levels of cyanide detected. All dead creatures will have to be removed and incinerated or buried to ensure nothing else is poisoned.”

Jonathan Paul, senior lecturer in geosciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: “Numerical and analytical modelling is being carried out as quickly as possible, in order to estimate the speed and direction in which the cyanide plume might spread. These predictions will be benchmarked against measurements of toxicity, dissolved oxygen levels, and cyanide concentrations.”

He added that the cheapest remediation technique is to dilute the contaminated water until cyanide levels drop to safe limits, such as bringing in fire engines to pump water into the canal.

“However, filtering and other energy-intensive techniques like reverse osmosis might be locally applied in the case of severe spills.

“When it comes to the ecosystem, poisoning of higher-order aquatic life will be affected, such as the fish rather than plants.

“Unlike some pesticides, cyanide doesn’t accumulate up the food chain so won’t affect the entire aquatic ecosystem, as it breaks down much more quickly.”

14/8/24: Sodium cyanide canal spill sparks major incident in the UK

A MAJOR incident has been declared in Walsall, UK after sodium cyanide spilled into a canal.

Access to the area has been closed off and the public have been warned to stay away from a 12-mile stretch of the canal network which stretches as far as Birmingham and West Bromwich. The authorities have warned that there is a serious risk to the health of people and their pets. Anyone who has been exposed and is feeling unwell has been advised to seek medical advice. Dead fish have been photographed floating in the canal.

Sodium cyanide is a highly toxic, white, crystal-like solid. When ingested it can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. When added to water it gives off fumes of hydrogen cyanide, which is also highly toxic and has a bitter almond-like odour that not everyone can detect. Inhaling hydrogen cyanide can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, elevated heart rate, and loss of consciousness.

The spillage was detected on Monday and investigations are underway to determine the cause, though Garry Perry, leader of Walsall Council, said it was too early to speculate. Sodium cyanide is chiefly used for metal cleaning, plating and extraction, and photography.

Authorities responding to the spill include the UK Health Security Agency and the Environment Agency. Testing is being carried out on the water as authorities seek to monitor the extent of the incident and determine when it’s safe to lift restrictions. The Canal and River Trust said people living on boats are being made aware of the incident.

Perry said: "We are working closely with our partners to manage this situation which has been declared a major incident. For your own safety please avoid this area of the canal and its towpaths.”

Updates on the incident are being posted by the council here. There are also documents available from Public Health England describing the properties, risks of exposure, and incident management for sodium cyanide and hydrogen cyanide.