HY RU EN
Asset 3

Loading

End of content No more pages to load

Your search did not match any articles

Lena Nazaryan

Children Tested in Syunik Display Disturbing Traces of Heavy Metals

These two seven year-old girls, who live in the Lernadzor village in Syunik, are from the group of five children whose hair was found to contain a whole range of heavy metals. A similar collection of heavy metals was also discovered in the hair samples of twelve children examined in Kajaran.

Results of these hair studies are summarized in a research work entitled, "Ecological and Geological Assessment of the Environmental State of Kajaran" (2008). The research was carried out by the Armenian Academy of Sciences' Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies (CENS) and was commissioned by the Kajaran Municipality. The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of the Zangezour Copper-Molybdenum Plant on the environment of Kajaran.

The village of Lernadzor is one of the closest rural communities to the town of Kajaran. Five year-old school children were selected as research subjects.

Mercury was discovered in the hair of two of the five children examined. In one of the kids the level of mercury was found to be 7.5 times the normal range. Cadmium was found in the hair of all the children tested. One child's hair contained 2.2 times the normal range for cadmium and another 1.6 times the norm.

Arsenic was only found in the hair samples of one child, at a rate of 3 times exceeding the norm. Copper, lead and nickel traces were found in all the hair samples. Molybdenum was not found in any of the hair samples.

Evelina Ghoukasyan is one of the experts who helped conduct the research. "At first we took hair and nail sample but the toxicologists stated that these indices weren't adequate to obtain a true picture of the heath of the organism. However, the recurrent high levels of heavy metals in the hair and nails were compelling reasons to continue the research and to perform additional blood and urine testing."

Since high levels of precious metals were found in the hair sample of the children of Kajaran they were the first to undergo blood and urine testing. The testing was carried out by the CENS. Armen Saghatelyan, the CENS Director, stated that in the blood of almost 43% of the children tested fairly high levels of lead were found and in 3% of the children these levels had reached toxic proportions.

High levels of lead in the body impact the nervous system and can lead to mental underdevelopment as well as sight, hearing and speech problems. High lead levels cause damage to kidneys, the stomach and the digestive system.

It is well known that copper, at high levels, is toxic. If high levels of the metal remain in the body for an extended period tumors can develop. The metal infects the nervous system, the kidneys and liver. Excessive levels of cadmium can lead to skeletal deformities and lung infections.

There are many ways that these metals enter the human body- through the soil, water, air and domesticated animals. For example, in the area that lies between Lernadzor and Kajaran there is located the Voghji tailings dam that was covered over with dirt in 1977. The tailings dam was the repository for wastes emanating from the copper-molybdenum plant for tens of years. The tailings dam is located in the flood plain of the Voghji River. Spanning an area of some 70 hectares it is the largest of its kind.

According to research results, high concentrations of molybdenum and copper were found in the Voghji soil and a propensity for the concentrations to grow according to depth was also noted.

Cows belonging to the Lernadzor village, some 250 animals in all, graze on the tailing dam site. After finding high traces of some toxic elements on the grasses that grow on the site milk samples were taken from three herds of cows. Excessive levels of lead, arsenic and mercury were registered in the milk samples.

Local villagers grow vegetables on the dam site as well. Samples tested showed that the tubers of dill, beans and potatoes were highly infected with molybdenum and copper. In the research results it is noted that essentially all cultivated crops contain high concentrations of heavy metals and that they are not fit for human consumption.

From our conversation with Lernadzor Village Mayor Stepan Petrosyan it was evident that he was aware that grazing cows and planting crops on those lands was forbidden. Despite the ban, no steps have been implemented by either the local or regional authorities to enforce it.

Kajaran Mayor Vardan Gevorgyan states that, "As part of the works program designed to protect the surrounding environment, we intend to enclose the tailings dam lands and replant the site with trees and bushes." This project is envisaged fro 2009-2012.

In the research study the experts noted that covering tailings dams with soil doesn't always assist in the regreening of such sites. Today the surface of the tailings dam has been reduced to zero and as a result heavy metals existing in the substance of the dams are subject to migration and thus they infect components of the eco-system.

 

Write a comment

If you found a typo you can notify us by selecting the text area and pressing CTRL+Enter