Environmentalists draw Armenian health minister’s attention to toxic
vegetables and fruit

arminfo
Friday, July 1, 23:29

Scholars and environmentalists raised many times the signal alarm
about hard ecological situation in Lori and Syunik Regions. EcoLur has
sent a request to Health Minister Harutyun Qushkyan to react to this
situation.

The request particularly says: “Director of the Center for Ecological
Noosphere Studies of NAS RA Armen Saghatelyan publicly stated that the
genofond of the nation is at stake: In Alaverdi, in the soil of
Neghots and Qarkop Villages ultrahigh content of heavy metals have
been detected in the grown vegetables and forest fruits, including
toxic elements, such as mercury, cadmium and arsenic which are
oncogene and pose great danger for the health of the population. The
samples of the soil from Alaverdi contain copper, zinc and arsenic in
higher concentrations that the maximum permissible concentration.”

The same situation is in Syunik Region. According to Armen
Saghatelyan, there are no agricultural products in orchards – fruit,
vegetables, greens which were not intoxicated with toxic elements such
as cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Saghatelyan is sure there will be no
healthy children born in Syunik after two generations.

Dear Mr. Minister, we would like to ask you to inform what kind of
measures Health Ministry takes to reveal the risks for people’s health
who live in ecologically polluted zones in Lori and Syunik.”

-Whether the Ministry is informed about the results of studies
conducted by the Center for Ecological Noosphere Studies of NAS RA in
Qajaran, Kapan, Alaverdi, Akhtala and adjacent communities?

-Whether the Health Ministry conducts its own studies about the health
of the population who live in ecologically hot spots?

-We would like to ask to present data about the dynamics of change in
the indicator for cancer diseases for the population in Lori and
Syunik regions.

-What kind of measures Health Ministry takes in Lori and Syunik
Regions so as to prevent the negative impact of mining industry on
people’s health?”

Whether Health Minister Harutyun Qushkyan Knows People in Syunik and
Lori Jeopardize Their Health and Health of Their Future Generations?”.