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ARMENIAN RIVERS ARE DANGEROUS

[02:46 pm] 07 April, 2006

The results of the investigation realized by the Ministry of Ecology
about the level of pollution of the Armenian rivers show that the
level of substances dissolved in the water of the Armenian rivers
exceeds the allowed norms several times.

The basin of the river Debed is especially highly polluted. In the
samples from the river Akhtala the levels of aluminum, zinc and copper
are exceeded by 159.5, 408.4 and 932 times. And the levels of
manganese, lead and iron are exceeded by 67.2, 11 and 16 times. The
same can be seen in the other rivers.

These numbers are not simply violations but they affect the human
health directly. But in this case not only the people but the whole
environment suffers from the river pollution. The accumulations of
lead, aluminum and other metals are especially dangerous. `Heavy
metal is dangerous as it can be accumulated in the human organism’,
biologist Susanna Hakobyan says.

As we know, the water of the rivers is used fro irrigation. Factually
the water intoxicates the plants and animals first, and then people.