The tests undertaken by the Ministry of Environment of North Macedonia at Pelenica, a tourist location next to the Skopje suburb of Drachevo, showed a high concentration of lindane (HCH). Lindane is a neurotoxin that can harm the nervous system, liver, and kidneys, and may be carcinogenic. OHIS, the now-defunct chemical complex that was responsible for the site, did not place the hazardous waste in concrete pools, as is the case with the two landfills in OHIS’s yard, which makes the chemical particularly dangerous for the soil and groundwater in the area.
Testing confirms presence of illegaly deposited toxic substances in the soil
According to tests done at several points on the site, high concentrations of HCH were detected in the top soil layer, at a depth of 20 centimeters or less. The hazardous waste is mixed with construction waste and waste from a0 glass factory. At a depth of just half a meter, pure lindane was found…
Global Voices: https://globalvoices.org/2023/01/25/over-40000-tons-of-neurotoxin-were-stored-without-any-protection-in-north-macedonia/