Source of pollution of Seim and Desna rivers found, restoration to take 2-3 years

Ukrainian experts have identified the source of pollution of the Seim and Desna rivers. According to "almost 100% accurate data," it is the Tiotkinsky sugar factory in Kursk Oblast, Russia.

Source: Serhii Afanasiev, the director of the Institute of Hydrobiology, and Volodymyr Osadchyi, the director of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute, at a press conference at the Ukraine-Ukrinform media centre.

Details: Osadchyi reported that about 5,700 tonnes of byproducts of sugar refinery had been dumped into the water.

The dumping of byproducts into the water was happening for 7-9 days. These are exclusively organic substances.

"A large amount of byproducts was in soluble form. As soon as this mass entered the Seim River, it destroyed all the oxygen in just a few hours. Because one molecule of fructose eats up 12 molecules of oxygen," Volodymyr Osadchyi explained.

He noted that recent studies near the town of Oster (Chernihiv Oblast) have shown that the water is currently in fairly good condition.

"Due to the fact that Desna works very well as a self-cleaning system, the acidity of the water increases, and oxygenation is carried out through hydrobiological processes.

I feel that we may not even observe pollution in Kyiv. But we have to strictly control it," the head of the institute assured.

At the same time, Serhii Afanasiev said that the restoration of the biodiversity and bioresources of the Seim and Desna rivers will take 2-3 years.

Volodymyr Osadchyi also added that the water in wells in rural areas is absolutely safe, as there is no connection between surface and groundwater.

Is the water in Seim and Desna safe?

The head of the Hydrometeorological Institute assured that after water treatment, the substances present in the rivers' waters will be safe for humans and animals. However, this depends on the level of oxygen in the water.

"The substances that have settled to the bottom will undergo oxidation over a few months, and will no longer interfere with the river’s ecosystem," Osadchyi said.

However, Serhii Afanasiev, head of the Institute of Hydrobiology, noted that there is no question of absolute water safety at the moment. He said that each person's body can react differently to the high levels of concentration.

"I would not recommend swimming in contaminated water. Moreover, our studies show that in molasses, the test organisms Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia multiply at an extraordinary rate.

This is additional organic matter, additional feed. Thus, the microbiological component also multiplies. This can be unpleasant for humans," he warned.

Background:

• In mid-August 2024, information began to emerge about the pollution of the Seim River, which flows through Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts from Kursk Oblast, Russia.
• On 27 August, the Ukrainian State Agency for Fisheries accused Russia of poisoning the water.
• On 28 August, the Kyiv City State Administration assured that the water in the capital is safe and that the water utility companies will be able to provide Kyiv residents with drinking water if the situation worsens.
• The Ministry of Environment said that as of 10 September, the pollution of the Desna River had moved approximately 191 kilometres from the confluence of the Seim River into the reservoir.
• The Kyiv City State Administration reported that two scenarios have been created for the potential pollution of the Dnipro River. In case poor-quality water from the Desna reaches the capital, as suggested in the pessimistic forecast, the city has stockpiled purified water.
• On 11 September, the Ministry of the Environment reported that contaminated water from the Seim River could reach Kyiv on 14-16 September. However, the treatment facilities "should be able to cope" with the pollution.

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