Tehran, Iran, July 29
By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:
Iran is conducting regional cooperation and improving infrastructure needed for monitoring rivers for pollution and other unwanted conditions.
Since two years ago when a comprehensive monitoring of the Araz River was carried out, various measures have been taken to improve monitoring of rivers across the country, Shina Ansari, director of Pervasive Monitoring at Iran's organization of Environment told Trend July 29.
Laboratories have been equipped and strengthened, Ansari said, adding as examples that GC (gas chromatography) as well as hydrocarbon and pesticide pollution testing equipment have been provided for East Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran.
"Also, GC and nuclear absorption_ used for testing heavy metals content_ equipment were bought for the West Azerbaijan province; and a laboratory for Ardabil province is going to be launched next week," she added. "We have also launched 29 stations for sampling and online monitoring of rivers data. The online monitoring cannot be used for pesticide and heavy metal content since the parameters are not transferable online, but it provides a very useful and precise tool for constantly observing physico-chemical conditions of rivers."
Iran is also conducting cooperation with neighboring countries in monitoring rivers, Ansari said, adding that for example the country has launched a joint committee with Armenia to monitor the Araz River .
"We have arranged to jointly monitor the river in qualitative terms, have even set to jointly spot the places where to launch sampling stations, decide on the parameters to be taken into account, set the frequency of sampling operations, and draft a monitoring program," the official said.
She added that while copper and molybdenum mines of the town of Agarak in the Syunik Province of Armenia are sources of pollution in Armenia, sewage and agricultural drainage are sources contributing to the pollution of Araz in Iran.
Iranian MP Kamaladdin Pirmoazen said in early July that waste material from Armenia's Metsamor nuclear power plant and aluminum plant poured into Araz River pollute the river and pose threats to the wildlife and people living in the surrounding areas.
Some reports say that each year, dumping of waste by Armenia into Araz River leads to cancer for thousands of people living in the Mugan region of Ardabil province in Iran.
Edited by CN
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