Scientist talks of new cholera and hepatitis A threats after Kakhovskaya hydropower plant blast

Mikhail Yatsyuk, director of the Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, said this in a commentary for TSN.ua.

Specialists warn of serious consequences for human health

After the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power plant was blown up by occupants, the flooded territories have not only been subjected to flooding but also became a hotbed of pollution. As a result, there was a significant threat of the spread of infectious diseases.

The water that came down from the reservoir - it was saturated with chemical and toxic pollution, heavy metals. These areas are ecologically contaminated. The level of pollution can be determined by laboratory monitoring after the water drains away. There are many means for cleaning, but one has to understand that there is an active war zone there and there are problems of access. There is another huge problem - groundwater consumed by the local population is being polluted," said Mikhail Yatsyuk.

According to the expert, there is a high probability that the crops in the flooded and submerged areas have also been contaminated.

In addition, this expert draws attention to the possible contamination of the Black Sea as a result of damming, including coastal areas near Odessa.

2.5 billion cubic meters of water have already flowed out of the reservoir and more will continue to do so in the coming days. That is, there will be pollution of the Black Sea. Given the direction of movement, the Odessa coastal area will be polluted. We will see it visually. Definitely there will be oil pollution, it means there will be corresponding slicks. But there is also a group of heavy metals, toxic substances that are visually impossible to see only during laboratory examination, - says Mykhailo Yatsiuk.

The risk of infectious diseases is very high

He also notes that flora and fauna in the path of this water jet have suffered serious damage. The movement is likely to continue into the Black Sea, where all the sediment has settled to the bottom. However, if they stop anywhere near Odessa, it will have an extremely negative impact, similar to the case when oil products hit the sea. The entire aquaculture industry could perish.

According to Mykhailo Yatsiuk, fish and remains of bio-organisms have entered the floodplain.

Now the process of rotting, toxication can start. This is not primary, but secondary pollution," he specifies.

Mikhail Yatsyuk stresses that there is an extremely high risk of infectious diseases.

The risk of infectious diseases is very high. The fact is that the situation is very favourable for this because of the air temperature, the heat. Cholera, rotaviruses, hepatitis A can spread very quickly. It is possible to minimize the risks if we inform the population about it. The first thing to do is to provide people with drinking water; if people use local water sources, the risks will increase many times over.

Is there any threat of ZNPP?

Mykhailo Yatsiuk says that there is a threat for Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.

But I do not assess them as very high. There is no direct threat, but if no alternative options for the cooling system are found, the risks will grow. Right now the situation is under control," Yatsyuk clarified.