The process of integration into the European Union, declared a foreign policy priority for Armenia, requires the state and businesses to ensure transparency and accountability towards civil society.
The lives of communities are largely built around traditional values. In many respects, priorities here are predetermined by business interests and the support provided to those interests by state authorities.
In this context, the mining sector occupies an important place not only in the economy but also in terms of its impact on communities. Yet it is precisely communities that are expected to play an important role in the green transformation process, equipped with the knowledge necessary to protect their rights and achieve fundamental changes in matters concerning not only employment, but also their right to health and to live in a healthy environment.
"Ecological Transformation of Armenia’s Mining Regions” project implemented with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and in cooperation among the Czech "Arnika" NGO, "Center for Community Mobilization and Support" NGO, and "EcoLur" Informational NGO, was not intended to determine average levels of pollution in environmental media, as it was considered that similar studies had already been conducted.
Instead, it was decided to trace the pollution pathway from its source to humans, including water, soil, edible plants grown in household plots, and human biological samples, which represent the final link in this food chain.
Thus, the model used in the studies makes it possible to assess pollution pathways.
It is possible to draw conclusions about the local impact of industrial infrastructure, tailings storage facilities, waste accumulations and other similar sources.
Arnika’s study meets all the requirements applicable to scientific publications: it presents literature data on pollution in the areas of Kapan and Qajaran, as well as the methodology used, while the results obtained are described in detail, down to the level of laboratory records. The samples collected were transported in special containers to an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory in Prague and analysed to determine the concentrations of mercury, lead, cadmium, copper, nickel and arsenic.
According to the study findings, copper contamination predominated in dust in Kajaran, reaching 998 mg/kg, while concentrations in sediments downstream of the Artsvanik tailings facility reached 2,314 mg/kg. According to the authors, the copper concentration in the sediments was 11.7 times higher than the Probable Effect Level (PEL) established in Canada for aquatic organisms.
Arsenic concentrations in dust in Kapan reached 25.4 mg/kg, while arsenic concentrations in soil in Kajaran reached 23.1 mg/kg. Its concentration in the soil was 38 times higher than the soil clean-up (decontamination) level established in the Czech Republic for residential areas.
In addition to environmental samples, urine samples were collected from 62 residents (42 women and 20 men) and analyzed for arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, molybdenum, nickel and lead.
Arsenic was detected in all urine samples analyzed, at concentrations ranging from 3.97 to 35.8 μg/g creatinine; molybdenum ranged from 27.14 to 438 μg/g creatinine, and nickel from 1.04 to 19.2 μg/g creatinine.
Certainly, any scientific conclusion can be challenged by presenting, for example, independent data, comparing the methodologies used, and so forth. However, one thing is clear: any data will indicate that hazardous metals and toxic elements have accumulated over a long period in and around industrial facilities, creating a toxic environment that poses risks to the health of people living there.
During meetings with local residents, Czech experts shared their experience in remediating contaminated sites in the Czech Republic and other European countries.
The conclusion is clear: efforts need to focus on preventing pollution, rather than solely addressing its consequences. Otherwise, the risks may become unmanageable, or remediation may become prohibitively expensive and ultimately fall on the state - that is, on us, the taxpayers.
September 16, 2026 at 13:25