

The Czech "Arnika" NGO has received the first results of the research of samples taken from the environment and residents of Karaberd settlement of Pambak consolidated community, Lori region, Armenia. In September 2022, specialists from "Arnika", jointly with Armenian partner "Centre for Community Mobilization and Support" and "EcoLur" information NGOs, worked in the village of Karaberd and collected soil and river sediment, hair and urine samples from local residents to study the impacts of the Karaberd gold mine on health and environment. A total of 7 samples were taken from the soil, 7 from river bottom sediments and 1 from ore waste. Also, 18 biological samples were taken from local residents.
Sampling was carried out according to the developed sampling methodology for environmental and biological samples. The samples were taken to the certified laboratory in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic (Zdravotní ústav se sídlem v Ústí nad Labem), where the concentration of heavy metals in the test samples was analyzed by certified methods, in particular the concentration of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu ), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), zinc (Zn).
The preliminary results of the analyzes show that the soil located near the Karaberd mine (distance from the mine 150 m) has a significantly higher concentration of heavy metals compared to clean soils and agricultural soils of the Karaberd settlement, including the area of the Kyokhvakhlu residential district. It is important to note that the land above the mine is used to grow grass for livestock.
A high concentration of heavy metals was also found in the agricultural lands of Karaberd, in many cases exceeding the indicators intended for the soil. The results of heavy metals concentration in the agricultural soils of the studied settlements are disturbing.
Particular attention should be paid to such polluting elements as arsenic, the concentration of which in the test samples exceeds the norm by 2-2.5 times, and lead, the concentration of which exceeds the norm by 2-10 times.
The presence of an increased contamination of these elements can cause negative consequences in the human organism. They are highly toxic and are not essential micronutrients for the human organism epidermoid carcinoma as well as lung cancer.
The impact of arsenic can be assessed by analyzing its contamination in hair and nails. Lead has been attributed with a wide range of toxic effects and is considered one of the most persistent heavy metals and a global environmental pollutant. Its presence in the blood is unfavorable in any concentration, since it belongs to the group of foreign chemicals (xenobiotics) for all living beings.
Lead can affect the blood, as well as the nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems, kidneys. Its exposure in early childhood and the prenatal period causes cognitive development delays, learning difficulties, and other consequences. Exposure to large amounts of lead can cause gastrointestinal disease, serious damage to the brain and kidneys, and reproductive function. There is no safe level of lead for the human body.
Sampling from the vicinity of Karaberd gold mine
Map with plotted soil sampling points
Detailed results of analyzes of all test samples will be presented by Arnika and its partners after the completion of the entire study, no later than December 31, 2023.
December 22, 2022 at 14:28