University of Malta Rector Prof. Alfred Vella, who specialises in Chemistry, told The Malta Independent, the recyclable material that was burnt, which were products based on carbon, contain poisonous chemicals of various types, such as dioxins, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

The smoke, which is a mixture of solids and gas, creates “a toxic cocktail” according to the Professor. He said that the toxic smoke could survive a fair amount of time in the environment and could potentially enter the water table, soil, or sediment and remain for thousands of years.
However, he said, this has long been happening due to the carbon footprint of the country.

The long term effects of the fire would be impossible to prove, Prof. Vella said, since someone suffering from a disease would not be able to connect it to that one acute exposure five or fifteen years down the line.

“Even before the fire, people have been exposed to the same fumes through cars, machinery, smoke from factories.” He maintained that the real issue that should be discussed is the population’s chronic exposure to dangerous chemicals, through cars and machinery.

“It is convenient to look at Wasteserv, but we are constantly living in a contaminated environment, all because of the convenience of a car.”

The fire that destroyed a large part of the Sant’ Antnin recycling plant in Marsascala was finally put out yesterday, more than 24 hours after it started. The Home Affairs Ministry explained that a cooling down process had started.

This newspaper visited the site in the morning and found that an acrid smell still lingered around the area and thick smoke was still emanating from the plant.

Tourists passed by from the bus stop in front of the plant, only to hold their breath as they sprinted past, only managing to take a breath of fresh air at a significant distance away from the entrance.

The next step, according to WasteServ Chief Executive Officer Tonio Montobello, is for a damage assessment to be conducted; however from what he could tell, the damage seemed to be located in the area where recyclables were sorted. The area which sees the black bags collected was not damaged and operations in that part of the plant were set to resume once the fire was extinguished, he told The Malta Independent.

The incident was so severe that the health authorities issued a warning, telling people that the emissions from this plant are a mixture of gases, chemicals and fine particles from burning waste.

“People who have heart or lung diseases, like heart disease, lung disease, or asthma, are at higher risk if they are exposed," the Health ministry said. It warned people who live in the vicinity to stay indoors and shut all doors and windows.

 

Pieces of plastic flying around

This newspaper spoke to Emanuel Camilleri, from Zabbar, who was there observing the firefighters at work. He told The Malta Independent how the effects of the fire were felt from his home. He said that as he was on his way home following some errands when he saw “thick black smoke and a strong flame.” He recalled how he was later on the terrace of his Zabbar home when small pieces of what seemed like “burnt plastic bag” was flying through the air, and the same potent smell of burning plastic which surrounded us as we spoke was also present, he said. “We had to stay inside because there was a toxic smell.”

“At first I thought the fire was a tree on fire down the road, I didn’t think it would be the recycling plant,” said Mr Alfred Galea who lives in the neighborhood in the south of the recycling plant. “I thought the smoke would spread towards here but it did not,” he said, adding that the wind was changing directions. “We closed our windows and doors quickly,” he stated, expressing his disbelief at how such large quantities of plastic caught fire. 

“All we did was close our windows and doors, instructed by what we heard on the radio,” said a man in Zejtun, sitting in front of his garage.  He explained how Zejtun was not affected too much, as much as he could tell, and the smoke seemed to go upwards rather than engulfing neighboring towns.

 

Mayor had long urged plastic waste to be stored indoors

Marsascala Mayor Mario Calleja told The Malta Independent that he has long argued that the part used to stockpile large packets of plastic waste should be enclosed and made indoors, rather than left outdoors. It is believed that the fire started in the material recovery facility, where the packets of plastic waste were kept outside. The mayor was on site within minutes of the fire, keeping his distance. “I could feel the immense heat from quite a distance away.”

The firefighters and police officers were on scene within 5-10 minutes, closing off the roads and cordoning off the area.” He said that the Council told residents in the area to avoid the plant, so as not to inhale any fumes.  “My job was to advise people to remain safe.” When seeing the fire, he was worried that it would spread due to the wind, a concern which thankfully did not turn into a reality.

He said that he was not directly contacted by residents on the fire, however there were some 2,000 posts about it on Facebook.