The dazzling white sand of “Spiagge Bianche” , or “white beaches” , inwards the town of Rosignano Solvay , inwards southern Tuscany , has been luring tourists past times the thousands for years. But this beautiful stretch of shoreline past times the Tyrrhenian body of body of water too its uncharacteristic Caribbean-look hides a nighttime hugger-mugger that real few of the sunbathers too swimmers who flock to Spiagge Bianche every summertime seem to locomote aware of. The stunningly white sand hither is non natural. It’s chemic waste product , too its beginning stands correct side past times side to the beach —an enormous complex of towering chimneys too cooling towers spewing smoke too steam into the air. This is the Solvay chemic plant.
Solvay is a Kingdom of Belgium society founded inwards 1864 past times industrialist too political leader Ernest Solvay. It came to Italia inwards 1912 too opened its start flora —and ane of its largest production site— close the town of Rosignano Marittimo , located or too therefore 25 km from Livorno. Within a brusk fourth dimension , with the Solvay mill driving the evolution , a novel town was born with houses , streets , too places for recreation. This novel town was named Rosignano Solvay.
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The Solvay chemic flora inwards Rosignano Solvay manufacturers many basic chemicals such equally sodium carbonate , bicarbonate , hydrogen peroxide , calcium chloride , too chlorine. Its primary production is sodium carbonate , or soda ash , which is manufactured past times bubbling carbon dioxide gas through a solution of brine (salt water) too ammonia to precipitate the compound. This procedure , known equally the Solvay procedure , was invented past times Ernest Solvay himself , too is forthwith the leading industrial method used to hit sodium carbonate the the world over.
The Solvay procedure leaves behind a mixture of calcium chloride too limestone equally by-products , which the society has been dumping into the body of body of water for decades. The most visible consequences of the factory’s activity are the beautiful white , tropical paradise inwards forepart of the industrial complex. But the paradise is solely an illusion. Mixed with the calcium chloride too limestone waste product are many toxic chemicals such equally mercury , arsenic , cadmium , chromium , Pb too ammonia , which are incredibly harmful to humans too animals. According to a study published inwards 1999 past times the UN Environment Programme , the Spiagge Bianche is alongside the xv most polluted coastal sites on the Mediterranean Sea.
Between 2008 too 2010 , the town recorded a mortality charge per unit of measurement higher than the regional average for the same menstruum , increasing past times 2.2 per cent for men too 8.3 percent for women. In add-on , the frequency of tumors too premature mortality (under historic menstruum 65) are both to a higher house the regional average past times several pct points.
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Unfortunately , at that spot is non plenty awareness nigh the problem. There are no signs close the beach explaining the province of affairs to the bathers. Instead Spiagge Bianche is promoted equally a tourist attraction , prophylactic for swimming too bathing. Year afterward yr it has been awarded “the Blue Flag” —a certification issued past times the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) to those beaches too marinas that catch the supposedly stringent standards of cleanliness too quality.
Local activists are waging a state of war against the multinational society simply the economical interests are also cracking too the bureaucracy also complicated to convey the society nether check. In 2003 , Solvay agreed to cut their discharge past times 70% too eliminate mercury from the discharge , simply many accuse the society of defaulting on their commitments.
While judge volition accept its cast , the environs , the body of body of water too thousands of people volition decease along to rest victims of the faulty system.
The ditch that discharges chemic waste product from the mill to the sea. Photo credit: Paolo Avezzano/Flickr
Photo credit: Simone Girlanda/Flickr
Photo credit: Simone Girlanda/Flickr
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Sources: Wikipedia / Tuscany365 / www.geo-social.net / Il Tirreno / The Post International