The tragedy in Hungary last week shifted focus onto a problem that has been with the bauxite and alumina industry since it began.
The scenes on TV are very sad, but details are lacking.
One of the better posts I have read about the red mud is this one.
feedstock (raw bauxite) for MAL has traditionally come in part from several mines in Bosnia / Republica Serbska, namely the Milici and Chitlook Mines, with main contents of ore to be bohemite, with Al203 content typically around 58%. according to our files, Pb content is nil, though Zn content could be as high as 400ppm. Zn is generally not considered to be a harmful or toxic element.