With funding from the state budget, Institute of Geological Sciences of NAS RA has regularly carried out hydrochemical and hydroecological research in the catchment basin of Masrik and Sotq rivers flowing into Lake Sevan. As a result, the presence of high concentrations of sulfate ions in the water of Masrik and Sotk rivers, indicators of pollution with phosphates, nitrates, as well as a significant amount of chromium were found. The studies were carried out headed by Marine Nalbandyan, Senior Researcher at Institute's Geoinformation Laboratory, with the participation of scientists from Zoology and Hydroecology Center of NAS RA.
She mentioned that they carried out a study of environmental risk assessment and mapping of zones according to the size of risks in the catchment basin of Masrik and Sotq rivers in 2020-2021.
Marine Nalbandyan
"The peculiarity of the study is that, population density was also considered in addition to environmental risk factors. As a result, the basin was divided into 3 zones according to risk. Zoning was carried out from the source of the river to the mouth. The first zone is the main part of Sotq River, where the impact factor of mining is the first, but it is in the second place in terms of risk assessment.
The other zone covers the middle part of the catchment basin where the influence of agriculture predominates. Here, the extent of environmental risk is comparatively the weakest. The third zone is adjacent to the lake, where a large number of settlements are concentrated. It has the highest environmental risk due to the population density and the pollution of Masrik River with municipal flows.”
Department of Science Popularization and Public Relations of NAS RA
August 08, 2022 at 13:35