EcoLur
The Czech specialists are studying to what extent the areas of Alaverdi, Shnogh and Akhtala mining communities are polluted with heavy metals and what kind of impact it will have on human health. From 18-23 July 2018 the experts of Czech 'Arnika' organization specializing in chemical safety and University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, took samples from community land areas, riverbed, residents' hair, as well as eggs from households. This examination is carried out within the frames of 'Involvement of Civil Society in Armenia in Decision-making on Mining' funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The project implementers are 'Arnika' organization, 'Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment' and 'EcoLur' Information NGOs. Czech experts Nikol Krejcova, Jitka Strakova and Marek Šír told the journalists that the aim of this project is to protect the residents from the impact of environmental pollution. They also noted that the samples will undergo lab analysis in University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, while the results of the analysis will be available in October 2018. Under 'Geo Alaverdi.
Environment And Urban Development' report, annually 25,000 tonnes of sulfur anhydride is emitted onto Alaverdi residents, the land in a diameter of 3 km from Alaverdi copper smelting plant is extremely polluted with heavy metals, where the maximum permissible concentration exceeded 20-40 times,' 'EcoLur' Information NGO Expert Victoria Burnazyan said. She noted that Lori Region is the leader among the Armenian regions in the atmospheric emission from immovable sources. 'Around 51,000 tons of harmful substances are emitted in this region and nothing is extracted,' Victoria Burnazyan said. 'Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment' NGO expert doctor Qnarik Grigoryan mentioned that emission can generate different diseases in a human organism.
Penetrating through the respiratory system, they cause burns of mucosa, eyes, skin. Sulfuric acid also possesses features of killing bacteria and if they enter the organism through good, it can impact the whole digestive tract,' Qnarik Grigoryan said. Because of the emission of Alaverdi copper smelting plant, the water of Deved and Akhtala Rivers have become acidic and the use of such water for irrigation will lead to salination and acidification of the land areas. It should be mentioned that the Armenian Government intends to support 'ACP' to construct a new copper smelting plant and an ad hoc working group has been established in line with Armenian Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan's decision. 'It's one of the unique cases when an independent international organization has arrived to carry out the examination. We are going to submit the results to the Armenian Government,' Victoria Burnazyan said.
July 30, 2018 at 18:46