The Dnipro, Ukraine’s longest river, may have been poisoned.
On April 17, about 3,000 canisters full of unknown toxic chemicals were removed from the Kizka River in Kyiv Oblast, a tributary of the Irpin River that flows into the Dnipro.
Although it is not clear when the chemicals have been thrown into the river, according to the Zaborona media outlet, ecologists found them in January.
If true, the toxic chemicals have been in the water for months, poisoning the local environment.
“About 80,000 liters of poison have been thrown into the river. Three-quarters of the population of Ukraine drink water from the Dnipro River — this water goes to apartments, houses,” the deputy head of Ukraine’s Nature Conservation Society, Ihor Artemenko, said in a comment to Zaborona.
It’s unknown who is responsible for throwing the canisters in the river. Police are investigating and have not yet established the types of chemicals involved.
However, the inscription on the found canisters with chemicals says “benzene.” Benzene is a toxic organic chemical that has long-term harmful effects on blood and bone marrow, can cause birth defects and is carcinogenic, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.
In a comment to Zaborona, Artemenko said that his organization has appealed to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine and regional authorities, but was told that incident was the responsibility of local authorities.
Months after being found, the chemicals were finally removed from the river this week by authorities in the town of Bucha, joined by eco-activists and locals. Bucha is 30 kilometers from Kyiv and has a population of 36,000 people.
The Kyiv Post requested a comment from the Ecology Ministry but hasn’t heard back yet.
Although most of the canisters were closed, the chemicals still leaked into the water and caused a lot of damage. Birds and animals have disappeared from the area and the water is covered with what appears to be oil stains, an association of hunters told Zaborona.
“Unfortunately, the local fauna has been affected by the chemicals, but we are counting on the self-cleaning of the ecosystem,” Anatolyi Fedoruk, the mayor of Bucha, wrote on Facebook.
The rainy weather can help the poisoned water get into the Dnipro River, Zaborona reports.
According to Zaborona, the canisters are now at a local utility company, where household waste is stored. After the scientists establish the types of chemicals within, they will be disposed of.
“We are waiting for laboratory tests, but if the inscription ‘benzene’ on the canisters is correct – it is dangerous for the environment and human health,” Ukrainian Anna Doronana, who helped to clean the river, wrote on Facebook.
Bucha authorities plan to close access to the river for trucks to protect the area, Zaborona reports.
