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Fire on X-Press Pearl: Theories vs Science

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Navy personnel attired in protective gear cleaning debris from the stricken ship, which washed ashore. (File photo)

There is nothing we can do now for the disastrous fire on the container ship X-Press Pearl. This will certainly have serious environmental implications, where we must be guided by science rather than personal theories. Some of the academics who have their own explanations, will only confuse the general public to the extent of giving up eating fish, which is our main protein source. When these theories are given over the media there is so much hype that people tend to accept all what they say.

The shipping company is at fault for not properly containing the leak in a container transporting concentrated nitric acid. This acid is highly corrosive, as well as a strong oxidising agent. Generally, transporting such a strong acid, along with highly oxidisable organic compounds, is highly undesirable. We are not sure how the nitric acid was packed inside the container. An inert packing material such as vermiculite, which is a silicate mineral, should have been used as packing to absorb any accidental spills. In the case of a leak from a container, it should be first soaked in this type of adsorbent material, and after soaking the acid in this manner the adsorbent with the acid can be washed away with water, using a high pressure water hose. Ship crews should be trained in such disposal procedures when they transport such dangerous cargo. Shipping crews may not have a good knowledge of the chemistry involved, but they could have contacted experts on the ground with specialized knowledge in hazardous waste disposal.

There is one theory that the nitric acid spill is going to destroy the corals. There is no scientific basis for this argument. Nitric acid added to the vast expanse of the ocean gets diluted to harmless levels. NASA scientists have estimated that nitric acid formed due to lightning, which comes down with the rain, annually amounts to 8.4 million metric tons world-wide. This is part of the nitrogen cycle in nature which has been going on for millions of years. Similarly, sodium methoxide undergoes ready hydrolysis, giving sodium hydroxide and methanol, and their biological effects are minimal considering dilution in the ocean.

Some scientists have claimed that this fire will result in acid rain. Acid rain is caused by the burning of fossil fuel and coal producing sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. These dissolve in water and come down as sulphuric and nitric acids giving acid rain. While theoretically acid rain from the ship fire is a valid argument, looking at the cargo contents there are no sulphur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide sources, and only burning of ship fuel can result in sulphur dioxide which can cause acid rain. Also, since there is only one container of nitric acid, the amount of nitrogen dioxide produced will not be significant, particularly if the nitric acid goes into sea water. Vehicles in Colombo city during the combustion of fuel produce more than the possible emissions from this ship. By all accounts so far, fuel tanks are intact and apart from an oil spill, there is less likelihood of these burning, now that the ship is under water.

The real environmental issues are the plastic pellets and oil spills, and not acid rain or nitric acid. These plastic beads belong to the groups, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) according to the inventory of cargo. What is really disturbing is the fate of the plastic pellets, which are washing ashore, polluting our beaches and ending up in fish. Plastic microfibres have been detected in marine fish for some time since oceans throughout the world are getting heavily polluted with plastics. Very small strands of microplastics are everywhere including our homes. For instance, our own clothes are made up of polymers which give out these, and this matter has received attention from scientists in the last few years. Similarly, soft toys and other plastic toys peel off during use and these are present in the air we breathe. Plastics can remain for at least a hundred years without breakdown. Government agencies such as the Central Environmental Authority, Marine Environment Protection Authority and National Aquatic Research Agency can undertake to monitor the presence of microplastic fibres in the flesh of fish. It is a simple test, involving observing the flesh under the microscope.

If we look at the information available, the ship carried a total of 1886 containers and the distribution of cargo (along with the number of containers in brackets) is as follows: nitric acid (1), 25,000 bags of LDPE and HDPE each weighing 25 kg (55), caustic soda (42), urea (88), lead ingots (8), lubricants (30) methanol, sodium ethoxide, vehicles and other miscellaneous items (rest of the containers). The greatest environmental concern here are the LDPE and HDPE pellets, and the lubricant oils, which can cause oil spills along with the 325 tons of ship fuel.

The question arises as to what can be done to deal with the enormous amount of plastic wastes collected in our beaches. Our plastics industry imports this product as a raw material in large quantities, to produce films for food packaging, which accounts for about 55% of global consumption. Our familiar shopping bags are also made from this polymer, and there are many other applications with injection moulding, which include household goods, toys and sporting goods, caps and various medical devices.

I wish to propose that the accumulated plastic beads be used for the plastics industry and they should be encouraged to reuse the plastic beads washed ashore. A simple gravity separation can separate the sand from the beads. Immersion in sea water, with a higher density than freshwater, can separate the beads from sand, and there is a possibility of reusing these pellets. Some of the bags collected by those who thronged the beach can be purchased, and the initiative of the plastics industry is critical in dealing with the plastic problem.

The damage to the environment caused by the X-Press is enormous, and it is doubtful whether Sri Lanka can at least partially recover the cost of the damage by way of compensation from the ship owners. In the earlier incident involving New Diamond, the Attorney General claimed damages for Rs. 3.4 billion, and according to what a government Minister stated at a recent news conference, only around Rs. 400 million has been paid. It is not clear whether Sri Lanka has signed the appropriate conventions to deal with compensation. Some of these conventions are the Bunker convention (2001), Athens convention (2002) and the London convention on limitation of liability for maritime claims (1996). For instance, Canada has enacted the Marine Liability Act in 2018 to make sure that in the event of an oil spill, compensation is available for the victims and other responders. Environmental remediation is also 100% compensable irrespective of the size of the spill.

The danger of oil pollution from 30 containers containing lubricants and the 325 tons of engine fuel should receive the attention of authorities, to procure the equipment and chemicals needed for its remediation. More importantly, we should have personnel with the necessary expertise to deal with the problem of extensive oil pollution. Oil booms are a popular and most widely used method for oil clean up, due to their simplicity and easier execution. This method has to be carried out immediately after the oil spill is detected. Once the oil is bounded by oil booms, it has to be extracted with the use of skimmers to scoop up the oil. The most effective way is to use adsorbents, and some cheap materials available for this purpose are peat moss, vermiculite and paddy straw. If the oil spill has not dispersed, it is even possible to burn the oil since oil floats on sea water. In addition, dispersants which are chemically similar to the detergents used for household washing, are used for the remediation of oil spills. These break the oil droplets into a smaller size, which makes it easier to mix with water, and the oil eating microbes will eventually ingest and break down these smaller globules.

Prof. O. A. ILLEPERUMA



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Opinion

CANCER: Prevention better than Cure

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Following the article entitled: “Tackling Insidious Killer” (The Island of 04June 2025) Dr Geewananda Gunawardana, in his article entitled, “Another Side to Cancer,” has provided us with an immense amount of detailed information on the workings of the human body. It is very rewarding to read his explanations. Myriads of different proteins, like a colony of worker ants, carry out the instructions given in our DNA. People really need to know how we work and what goes wrong: the causes of cancer and the steps needed to reverse cancer, where possible.

All responsible human beings need to get some basic ideas about this life-threatening disease for themselves. People need to digest, accept, take on board, grasp and understand befire their ship hits the rocks and capsizes! Do not wait for a crisis consultation with a doctor. A warning: there are Harpies out there luring you to your doom by singing their songs (advertisements) to entice you to fall into the abyss.

Anyone reading Dr Gunawardana’s excellent article for a second time will see there are several major points made in his writing which merit greater emphasis. He kindly gives us “The International Agency for Research on Cancer” where 133 known carcinogenic agents are listed and a further 418 likely carcinogenic agents that humans encounter under various circumstances in life.  (See Monograph 100)

Dr Gunawardana gives us a whole list of carcinogenic agents: alcohol as in beverages, benzene as in petrol, formaldehyde as found in many domestic household products, aflatoxins as found in contaminated foods, diesel engine exhausts (buses!), coal plant emissions and processed meats (bacon and sausages). He mentions food laced with herbicides, insecticides, and also harmful fried foods. He warns: often foods and drinks are contaminated with carcinogenic additives used in the manufacture of food packaging.

To add to all that, we have hepatitis and the human papilloma virus which also raise the risk of cancer.

Dr Gunawardana talks of how modern use of plastics introduces increasing risks to our health. Not least, micro plastics are found everywhere, all around the globe and have been linked to a whole range of human illnesses. (See: S. Goswami and Others, 2024)

Dr Gunawardana observes that because of this disastrous plastics contamination in humans, we humans are destined to battle this contamination for the rest of eternity.

He has detailed here an immense, spine chilling list of threats to human life arising from our environment due to business activity. There is the old adage (in English) “prevention is better than cure.” This needs to be our motto concerning life in Sri Lanka. And we have the law of cause and effect: ‘everything arises through causes’ which is a fundamental of the ‘Old Wisdom’ passed down to us through the ages.

Dr Gunawardena gives us the following links:

WHO :

(https://who.int/activities/preventing cancer/)and

The American Cancer Society (https://acscancerrisk360.cancer.org/)

Fortunately, although cancer rates are climbing, luckily, the death toll is not following so closely behind because there are certain remedial actions we can take, such as early intervention.

People need to understand more about their food (carbohydrates) and style of life and our increasingly hazardous environment due to our ever-increasing reliance on plastics and also how businesses use chemicals in and on the furniture, household items, cars we buy, before more serious crises arise.

Priyantha Hettige ✍️

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Opinion

When life becomes more painful than death

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Birth, the journey down the birth canal, with the baby flexing, rotating, and the mother’s powerful womb musculature squeezing down, must be painful, right? Perhaps not. Then why does a newborn cry so vigorously upon arrival? Because the open world is harsher than the well-guarded mother’s womb? Not quite. The truth is more scientific: it is the physiological response to hypoxia, low oxygen levels, that triggers the first cry. That cry involves deep breathing, rapidly oxygenating the blood.

From that moment, humans are subjected to suffering in various forms. Lord Buddha aptly summarised this in his teachings:

“Birth is dukkha, aging is dukkha, illness is dukkha, death is dukkha; union with what is displeasing is dukkha; separation from what is pleasing is dukkha; not getting what is wanted is dukkha.”

For those fortunate enough to experience moments of comfort, these struggles can be temporarily submerged, much like King Suddodhana’s futile attempt to shield Prince Siddhartha from witnessing hardship. Yet life remains uncertain, while death is an inevitability.

It is well known that those suffering from terminal illnesses like cancer endure a great deal of pain. In the Western world, advanced palliative care offers substantial relief, ensuring dignity in the final days augmented by end of life care. Despite these efforts, some individuals seek assisted suicide, travelling to clinics like Dignitas in Switzerland, where euthanasia is legal. Approximately 50 UK nationals per year seek solace in this. Even dying comes at a cost, roughly £15,000, turning it into a final act of financial privilege. For these individuals, life has become more agonising than death.

For the healthy and well-off, imagining such despair is difficult. Yet, a sizeable portion of the global population lives in conditions where death may seem more blissful than living. In many developing nations, ruthless politicians exploit this agony, securing power by promising salvation, only to abandon the very people who propelled them into leadership. The cycle continues, election after election.

For these struggling souls, a comfortable life remains as elusive as a carrot dangling before a donkey pulling a cart. The pursuit never ends. We witness desperate attempts to cross treacherous seas in overloaded boats, seeking a land that values their labour. Some endure horrifying smuggling conditions, hidden in suffocating compartments beneath the floor of 18-wheeler trucks, while others of the same ‘human cargo’ perish from temperature extremes or the bullets of border guards.

Sri Lankans, too, have braved the seas attempting to reach Australia, often with tragic consequences. In North Africa, many people risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean in fragile vessels. On British television, I have personally seen disturbing footage of capsized boats, drowning men, women, and children. There have even been allegations that coast guards near Lampedusa deliberately fired at boats, causing them to lose balance and capsize, only to later assist in rescue efforts. Arsonists returning to put out the fire!

The world is unfair. Human cravings know no bounds, fuelling social injustice across both developing and developed nations. Some express frustration through peaceful protests, while others resort to armed struggle, the final recourse of the oppressed. History has witnessed revolutions that initially failed but later regrouped and succeeded:

=French Revolution (1789–1799) Monarchy repression, later overturned.

=Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) From Ottoman rule. Despite early setbacks, independence was secured.

=Russian Revolution (1917) The Bolsheviks initially killed, regrouped and overthrew the Tsar.

=Chinese Communist Revolution (1927–1949) Repeated crackdowns by the Nationalist government, but regrouped and eventually led to victory.

=Vietnamese Revolution (1945–1975) Viet Minh secured reunification.

=Cuban Revolution (1953–1959) Batista annihilated Castro’s liberation fighters inside parliament. Regrouped and fought to emerge triumphant. Che Guevara fought alongside

Sri Lanka’s first armed uprising in April 1971, under Rohana Wijeweera, ended in disaster. Reports indicate 15,000 young people perished, either in battle or in custody. Yet, their sacrifice was not in vain, policy changes soon followed. The government introduced standardisation of A/L marks at first and subsequently brought in district quota system, allowing students from disadvantaged areas greater access to higher education. Land reforms were also enacted, restricting individual landholdings to just 50 acres.

Nevertheless, the Sirimavo Bandaranaike government fell in 1977, and J.R. Jayewardene formed a government with a five-sixth majority. Wijeweera was freed and contested the 1982 presidential election, gathering nearly 300,000 votes. Then came the July 1983 pogrom, after which the UNP scapegoated the JVP, banning the party to facilitate its extrajudicial elimination. In response, the JVP launched tit-for-tat attacks, but state paramilitary forces, Black Cats, Yellow Cats, Green Tigers, Ukussa, and PRAA, brutally crushed them. It is said that more than 60,000 youth were killed by the paramilitary and in torture chambers across the country.

By 1994, the JVP was de-proscribed, re-entering mainstream politics. But how did they eventually capture power?

A Chinese acquaintance once told my brother-in-law who was studying in China at the time, “Sri Lanka will never be able to launch an armed struggle and overthrow a government. The land is too fertile for extreme deprivation.”

Perhaps, Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) understood this truth.

The formation of the National People’s Power (NPP) was, undeniably, strategic. Whether masterminded by Tilvin Silva, AKD, or both, the move was unprecedented in momentum, the result of years of meticulous regrouping.

Today, Anura’s government has inherited a broken nation, its economy in ruins, justice compromised, and crime rampant. Yet, slowly and cautiously, it is steering the country toward stability. The rule of law is gradually being restored, with corrupt figures falling into the net one by one. Meanwhile, those fearing capture desperately attempt to dismantle the government.

As citizens who have long fought injustice, we bear a responsibility to defend the change we helped bring.

Dr. M. M. Janapriya ✍️

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Opinion

Prof. Dissanayake honoured for oustanding contribution to Sinhala literature

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Prof. J. B. Dissanayake

Professor J. B. Dissanayake, the well-known scholar and author, will be honoured with the launch of a festschrift that celebrates his immense contributions to Sinhala language, culture, and literature, at the University of Colombo’s New Arts Theatre, on June 13. The event, organised by the Department of Sinhala, marks a momentous occasion in Sri Lanka’s academic and literary calendar.

Professor Dissanayake, a former Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Thailand and an Emeritus Professor of Sinhala, has for decades stood as a towering figure in the fields of linguistics and cultural studies. With more than 50 books to his name, including works on Sinhala grammar, etymology, idiomatic expressions, and the sociocultural fabric of Sri Lanka, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the study and public understanding of Sinhala as a living, evolving language.

Born in 1937 and educated at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, and later at the University of California, Berkeley, Prof. Dissanayake began his academic career as a lecturer at the University of Colombo. From early on, his mission was clear: to make the Sinhala language more accessible, elegant, and modern while preserving its classical richness.

Among his most celebrated works are Say it in Sinhala, a practical guide for Sinhala learners, and Understanding Sinhala, which presents a lucid and engaging introduction to the nuances of Sinhala grammar and syntax. These books have not only aided generations of students but have also helped bridge the gap between Sinhala and global linguistic scholarship.

But it is not only through academic texts that Prof. Dissanayake has left his mark. His books often delve into folklore, proverbs, rituals, and the symbolic meanings embedded in Sri Lankan customs—areas often overlooked by mainstream literary scholars. In doing so, he has drawn attention to how language reflects the values, fears, and aspirations of a people.

This honour comes at a time when Sri Lanka is grappling with questions about language policy, cultural identity, and educational reform. In that context, Prof. Dissanayake’s lifelong commitment to democratizing Sinhala takes on renewed relevance. His approach—an unflinching dedication to clarity, beauty, and tradition within modern contexts—offers a way forward that bridges generational and ideological divides.

Despite his official retirement, Prof. Dissanayake remains active in public discourse. His television interviews, newspaper columns, and public lectures continue to attract wide audiences. Fluent in both scholarly analysis and conversational Sinhala, he has become a household name not just among academics, but also among everyday Sri Lankans eager to understand their own linguistic heritage.

In an age where languages around the world are under pressure from globalisation and homogenization, J. B. Dissanayake’s work serves as a reminder that language is more than a tool—it is a vessel of memory, a mirror of identity, and a map to the future.

As Colombo’s academic community gathers to celebrate his legacy, one thing is clear: Prof. J. B. Dissanayake has not merely studied Sinhala—he has lived it, loved it, and helped an entire nation see its value anew.

By Ifham Nizam 

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