Sodium cyanide in Walsall canal could be removed within a week

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Sodium cyanide in Walsall canal could be removed within a week

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Twelve miles of canals were cordoned off as a precaution but the contamination zone was “smaller than expected”, the Environment Agency said

A toxic chemical which spilled into a canal in Walsall could be removed or neutralised within a week, an expert claimed.

Sodium cyanide was one of three substances released into the canal after what the Environment Agency (EA) called a waste disposal incident

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Twelve miles of canals across the ****** Country and Birmingham were cordoned off on Tuesday but the EA said on Wednesday the contamination zone was “smaller than expected”.

Dr Jonathan Paul, a senior lecturer in geosciences, said the situation would hopefully be resolved within a week.

Anochrome Ltd, which deals in surface coatings and sealing, said they “regrettably” released chemicals into the Walsall waterway in the early hours of Monday morning.

At least 100 ***** fish have been seen floating on the surface of the canal near Reservoir Place.

People have been urged not to go near a long section of the canal network from the middle of the borough to Birmingham and connected waterways in Wednesbury, Tipton and West Bromwich.

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The Environment Agency said the incident at Anochrome Ltd was believed to be a waste disposal issue

Speaking to BBC Radio WM, Dr Jonathan Paul, a lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, said there were several strategies the EA could use to dilute or remove the toxic substance from the water.

“One of the cheaper solutions would be just to dilute the water, pump in a load of fresh water from somewhere else so the concentrations go down,” he said.

“There are other more active things they could do, they could run it through a filter to try and remove it.

“Or they could add certain chemicals to the water which would have the effect of taking the cyanide out of the water and making it a kind of ***** on the surface which could be skimmed off and then disposed of safely.”

Sodium cyanide can cause seizures, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

Dr Paul said the EA would probably be rolling out these measures over a matter of days.

“Hopefully, touch wood, this situation will be resolved within a week,” he said.

“If there is a silver lining, it’s that cyanide breaks down naturally quite quickly over a course of days.”

Watch: BBC reporter at scene of West Midlands sodium cyanide spill

The EA said they believed three substances had leaked into the canal after the incident at Anochrome Limited.

They were sodium cyanide, sodium hydroxide, and possibly zinc.

Dr Paul said he suspected the firm was using the sodium cyanide to put surfaces on metals, describing it as “a very strong solvent like glue”.

He said sodium hydroxide, which is more commonly known as caustic soda, had the potential to make water “very alkaline” which would pose a risk to aquatic life while zinc would make water “very cloudy”.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Walsall Council

People have been urged to avoid a 12-mile stretch of the canal network as a safety precaution

Sodium cyanide dissolves in water and can have serious adverse health effects if people or pets come into direct contact with it, the council advised.

Anyone exposed to the water who felt unwell should seek medical advice through the NHS 111 service or phone 999 in an emergency, a spokesperson for the authority added.

People living on boats on the canal in the affected area were being made aware of the spill, the Canal and River Trust said.

What is sodium cyanide?The chemical sodium cyanide is a white crystal-like solid with a faint almond odourIt is used in industry for metal cleaning, plating and extractionWhen cyanide salts are swallowed they release cyanide in the body – they can also be absorbed through the skinExpose can cause symptoms including headaches, nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, seizures and vomitingIt can be rapidly fatal if inhaled or ingested as it interferes with the body’s ability to use oxygen

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