Environmental disaster in Sri Lanka: ISPRA in support of monitoring activities
On May 20, a cargo ship carrying various dangerous substances caught fire off the western coast of the island of Sri Lanka, not far from the capital Colombo, spilling fuel and microplastics into the water that are damaging marine life and are depositing on beaches. of the area.
At the request of the Sri Lankan authorities and through the Civil Protection Department, ISPRA sent one of its experts to monitor and assess the environmental consequences.
From an environmental point of view, three types of risk were highlighted: release of hydrocarbons, dangerous chemicals and plastic pellets. In some cases the plastic particles are covered with 1 meter of sand.
