Podcasts

Sodium cyanide

By 2020-01-31T10:00:00

Fisherman holds up a fish poisoned by cyanide on the Tisza river

Source: © Getty Images / Mark H. Milstein

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Baia Mare disaster, when toxic sodium cyanide spilled from a gold processing plant led to ecological damage on a huge scale.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Baia Mare disaster, when toxic sodium cyanide spilled from a gold processing plant led to ecological damage on a huge scale. Mike Freemantle tells the tragic tale and explores the poison’s place in precious metal processing.