In Sumy region, no human illnesses have been reported in connection with the pollution of the Seim River, a tributary of the Desna, and the situation is under constant control and monitoring, the Sumy RMA reported on Facebook, UNN reports.
Details
Deputy Head of the Sumy RMA Olena Boyko emphasized that "the situation is under control, constant monitoring and sampling of water from the river and in mine wells located 100 meters from the river is being carried out, all necessary warning and informing measures have been taken.
Thus, according to her, "immediately after the problem was discovered, the Konotop district military administration took the necessary decisions to protect people's lives and health." In particular, additional restrictions were imposed on fishing, the use of water from the river for household needs, and a ban on swimming. All relevant measures have been taken to collect and dispose of the dead bioresources, she noted.
The issue was also discussed in detail at a meeting of the Sumy Oblast Defense Council.
For the entire period since August 14, ... the situation has been under control. Thanks to the measures taken, we managed to prevent people from getting sick and to prevent further pollution of the river with decomposition products of dead fish. Today, the pollution levels are still high and require additional research. We continue to monitor the situation together with the relevant services. We will continue to inform the public about changes in the indicators and improvements in the river's condition
In addition, according to the RMA, an extraordinary meeting of the Emergency Situations Commission is scheduled for this week, at which the restrictive measures will be extended. "Therefore, until the situation improves, swimming, fishing and the use of water for household needs from the Sejm River are prohibited," the RMA said.
The official also emphasized that the issue of reviving the biodiversity of the Sejm River is already being worked on: both stocking and improving the ecological situation on the reservoir. "In addition, close communication has been established with colleagues from Chernihiv Oblast who may also face this environmental problem. Coordination of joint actions has been introduced, and there is a constant exchange of information in order to respond to the situation in time and prevent the problem from worsening," the RMA said.
According to the representatives of the regional center for disease control and prevention, the institution's specialists are constantly monitoring the situation, conducting research on sanitary microbiological, chemical and radiological indicators of water from the Seim River and wells. According to the sanitary microbiological indicators, no pathogens causing infectious diseases have been detected. No human illnesses have been reported in connection with this situation
In turn, the State Ecological Inspectorate in Sumy region continues to take water from the river in 8 sections. "Almost all of the river's waterways have a persistent chemical odor, but it is less intense than at first, the water also has a changed color, and the dissolved oxygen levels are below normal. At the same time, there is no large number of dead bioresources everywhere," the RMA said.
Experts from the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection have reportedly confirmed that no pesticide levels were found in the samples taken on August 20 and 24.