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Ajka, 15 November 2011. The redsludge accident of October 4 has generated a world-wide interest in the area of Ajka in Western Hungary. Since then, media attention has ceased. This article aims to provide an English summary of the measures that were taken to manage the accident since October 20.

Kolotar, 4 October 2010. The acute toxic risk deriving from the heavy metals in the red sludge is rather low, as their concentrations are rather low. However, the chronic toxicity threat is high.

The Accident Emergency Warning System (AEWS) of the Danube River Basin is activated whenever there is a risk of transboundary water pollution, or threshold danger levels of certain hazardous substances are exceeded.

With a national territory of 87,609 km2, Croatia is at the intersection of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans and the Adriatic. The country straddles the border of two major catchment areas: the Danube Basin and the Adriatic Sea. Draining over 62% of Croatia’s mainland, the Danube Basin covers the northern and central inland section of the country and is home to 69% of the population. Croatian territory accounts for 4.4% of the entire Danube Basin.

Accidental pollution in the Danube River Basin can cause widespread damage to the environment, and endanger the health of local people and the state of local economies downstream. This was exemplified by the effects of the Baia Mare cyanide spill in Romania in 2000 or by the Hungarian redsludge accident at Ajka in 2010. The ICPDR is working to prevent accidental pollution and to improve response capability by compiling an inventory of all relevant "Accident Risk Spots".