Debed Water Turned into Acidic: Use of This Water for Irrigation Purposes Will Lead to Soil Salination and Acidification: Scientist Beating An Alarm Signal

Debed Water Turned into Acidic: Use of This Water for Irrigation Purposes Will Lead to Soil Salination and Acidification: Scientist Beating An Alarm Signal

EcoLur

The pollution of Alaverdi atmospheric air with carbon dioxide has affected the Debed River, as it has been revealed by Senior Researcher of Institute of Geological Sciences of NAS RA Marine Nalbandyan, an expert at ICP Waters International Cooperative Programme, as a result of her research, 'As a result of research it has been revealed that the high pollution of air with carbon dioxide affects directly the water quality in the Debed River and its tributaries being an additional source of high concentration of sulphates in the river water. Large amounts of sulfates have formed due to acidic atmospheric precipitation in the river and water acidification phenomena are already observed, which is definitely a serious threat to the biological life in the river. We also recorded that in the summer months the rate of acidity increases in the certain part of the river and its tributaries under the conditions of lack of water and relatively high temperatures, salts start actively melting, which poses high risks not only for the existence of the fish but also for the whole biomass. The use of this water for irrigation purposes will lead to the acidification and salination of the soil this being a negative factor for the development of agriculture in the given area,' Marine Nalbandyan told EcoLur. She mentioned she had been conducting research for already 8 years and there is a tendency of increase in the acidic areas in the Debed River observed over this period of time, which is an alarm signal this tendency is a risk factor for the whole river basin. In-detailed examination of the air basin with the help of decyphering special space images shows that the movement of the atmospheric air masses rich in carbon dioxide to the wast is a source of the movement of hazardous substances and a factor of pollution risk for Shirak Region. It is not excluded such a tendency is recorded because of moving the chimney of Alaver copper smelting plant.

May 23, 2018 at 17:45