Hazardous Waste Analysis in Gospić Reveals Alarming Antimony Levels

Hazardous waste found in Gospić, Croatia, has raised serious concerns, with analyses revealing elevated levels of antimony and total organic carbon in waste samples. Bruno Cvetković, deputy director of the "Dr. Andrija Štampar" Institute of Public Health, detailed the findings, stating that antimony levels in some instances were four times higher than permissible limits for waste disposal sites.

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Our tests showed that elevated concentrations of antimony and total organic carbon were found in the waste eluates, i.e., waste substances we sampled at the site.

Antimony, used in industries like plastics and metal alloys, can be a harmful metal, particularly its oxide form, which is carcinogenic. It can affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, as well as the liver and kidneys. Cvetković noted that the measured values exceeded the limits for all three types of landfills: hazardous, non-hazardous, and inert waste.

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Antimony, which is otherwise used in the production of plastics, metal alloys, glass, and other industries, is a potentially quite harmful metal, especially its oxide form which is also carcinogenic, it can affect primarily the respiratory and then the cardiovascular system – the liver, kidneys, and so on.

The Ministry of Environment and Green Transition has assured that the state will ensure the site's remediation. However, they emphasized that responsibility for the illegal dumping lies with those who disposed of the waste, not the institutions currently undertaking the cleanup. The ministry refuted claims of unnecessary delays, stating that remediation preparation could not begin until October of the previous year due to ongoing investigations, with public procurement initiated after restrictions were lifted.

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The values we found were even four times higher than allowed. I must emphasize that we performed waste analyses according to the regulation for waste disposal in landfills. This means three types of landfills – for hazardous, non-hazardous, and inert waste. These samples did not meet the conditions for disposal, because the antimony was even four times higher than the limit value.

The situation has led some residents in the Lika region to use bottled water as a precautionary measure. Cvetković advised the public to follow information from relevant institutions regarding water quality, noting that while bottled water is a safe option, official advisories are crucial.

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Classics, the risk groups are always the elderly, children, people who already suffer from certain primary diseases, especially those with immunocompromised diseases.