surreal_ravi

http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/aug/06coke.htm

PCB too finds carcinogens in Coke plant sludge

August 06, 2003 14:46 IST
Last Updated: August 06, 2003 14:51 IST


Confirming reports of carcinogenic heavy metal presence in the waste
material thrown up by the Coca-Cola plant at Plachimada in Palakkad
district, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board on Wednesday said
its sample analysis showed presence of cadmium in much higher
concentration than permissible levels.

Releasing the results, PCB chairman Paul Thachil said the sample was
found to contain 201.8 mg of cadmium per kg of dry weight, against the
tolerable limit of 50 mg.

The factory had been asked to stop supplying the sludge as fertiliser
to farmers in the locality and keep it in seepage proof condition,
Thachil told a press meet in Thiruvanthapuram.

surreal_ravi

PCB too finds carcinogens in Coke plant sludge

August 06, 2003 14:46 IST
Last Updated: August 06, 2003 14:51 IST


Confirming reports of carcinogenic heavy metal presence in the waste
material thrown up by the Coca-Cola plant at Plachimada in Palakkad
district, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board on Wednesday said
its sample analysis showed presence of cadmium in much higher
concentration than permissible levels.

Releasing the results, PCB chairman Paul Thachil said the sample was
found to contain 201.8 mg of cadmium per kg of dry weight, against the
tolerable limit of 50 mg.

The factory had been asked to stop supplying the sludge as fertiliser
to farmers in the locality and keep it in seepage proof condition,
Thachil told a press meet in Thiruvanthapuram.


The presence of lead at 319.0 mg per kg was, however, lower than the
tolerable limit of 500 mg per kg, Thachil said.

The samples were tested earlier this week at PCB's Central laboratory
at Kochi.

The Hindustan Coca-Cola factory has, of late, been in the eye of a
storm, with BBC recently reporting that the sludge thrown up by the
plant contained heavy concentration of cadmium and lead.

A local campaign was also on, alleging that the factory caused
depletion of ground water in the arid region.

A routine test conducted by PCB in January this year could not detect
the presence of heavy metals at hazardous levels in the waste material
of the plant, Thachil said.

A detailed inquiry would be held to ascertain how this 'serious
deviation' took place within a few months.

He said it was not within the PCB's powers to probe whether the soft
drink itself contained hazardous material. It was for the health
department to probe this, he said.

The concentration of cadmium at below detection limit of 2 MG per
litre and lead at 0.1 mg per litre in the effluent was within the
tolerance limit, Thachil said.

"The results indicate that the concentration of cadmium in the sludge
is high and hence the sludge may have to be classified as hazardous
waste," he said.

The board had asked the company not to use the sludge as manure, even
within the plant premises and the company had complied with the
instruction, he said.