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1771524 
Journal Article 
NEW DIRECTION IN TERMS OF WATER QUALITY MONITORING APPLICATION 
Kovacs, Z; Yuzhakova, T; Voeroes, C; Jonap, K; Redey, A 
2012 
Yes 
Environmental Engineering and Management Journal
ISSN: 1582-9596
EISSN: 1843-3707 
11 
3 
597-602 
WOS:000304498900016 
The worst and the largest environmental disaster occurred on
October 4, 2010 in Hungary, when the wall of a waste reservoir disrupted and a hazardous spill of
red sludge burst outside of the territory MAL Hungarian Aluminium Production and Trade Company
Limited by Shares (MAL Co. Ltd.). The red mud sludge is a solid waste byproduct of the Bayer
bauxite processing and it is highly alkaline with a pH of about 12-13. The polluted surface
waters (Stream Toms, River Marcal, River Raba) influenced by the red mud catastrophe are part of
the catchments area of the River Danube. Unfortunately the red mud disaster offered an
opportunity to use the AVITAR [Accredited Water Quality Telemetry System] System. The AVITAR
System is a result of a Hungarian development project. The system is equipped with sophisticated
instruments to carry out measurements, displaying data, transmitting the collected data and
providing alarm signal in case of emergency. In October 2010 the AVITAR System was installed in
the direct vicinity of Stream Torna in Devecser. The aim of the research was to continuously
monitor the quality of the surface water and to provide information on the change of the water
quality parameters during the study period. The data obtained show how the water quality regains
its original ecological condition in the Stream Torna. 
ecological catastrophe; red mud sludge; Stream Torna; water monitoring