The Baia Mare cyanide spill had left several consequences behind. The spill did not only contain cyanide in it; it also contained a significant amount of heavy metals like lead. As a consequence to the spill 2.5 million people where supplied with water contaminated with cyanide and other heavy metals. The Cyanide plume that entered the river had 700 times more concentration than the maximum amount of cyanide supposed to be present in drinking water. Due to this, the drinking water supply of Romanian and Hungarian towns was suspended for a while. In addition to water, the soil in some areas were highly polluted which made farming activities difficult for the following years.
The other major impact of this spill was on the aquatic and wild life. About 80 percent of the aquatic life was killed after the spill. Around sixty two different species of fish where 20 of them were endemic were dead from the toxic (2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill, 2012). On top of that animals like foxes and other semi aquatic animals were affected after feeding on the contaminated fishes.
According to the news published by BBC on 31 January, 2001, there were few cases of illnesses related to the spill. Most of these patients were sick because the contamination lowered their immune system. This was specially seen on kids. Chronic respiratory disease was seen in most of the kids after the spill. The health officers of Baia Mare had reported as six time the safe level of cyanide had been detected in the bloods of these kids (“Mining and the destruction of Baia mare”, 2012).
The Baia spill did not limit itself only by affecting the environment and health; it also had a negative effect on the economy. Following the death of fishes and various protected species of aquatic lives, the tourism and fishing industry faced a serious problem. Currently, the numbers of fish in the Someş and Tisza rivers