Water – Poison threatens Attica
Poisonous water threatens Attica and the health of those who consume tap water. This emerged from a study published in the following report by the newspaper “To Vima.
Report MAHI TRATSA
The hexavalent chromium that the rivers and water supply networks in Eastern Attica and Boeotia are “spewing,” turning the water red, is not the only deadly danger threatening the residents of the area. Zinc, arsenic, lead, nickel, nitrates, and other dangerous toxic elements – most of which are implicated in the onset of serious diseases, even carcinogenesis – have been detected in the waters not only of these areas but also of many others in Attica, according to researchers from the Institute of Geological and Mining Research (IGME). Uncontrolled industrial and agricultural activities “enrich” the groundwater with substances harmful to public health and create an “explosive cocktail,” unsuitable for any use. The waters in Marathon, in the Mesogeia, in Nea Makri, in Schinias, in Lavrio, in Faliro Bay, and in Thriasio cannot be used for drinking, nor for irrigating crops or any other application.
Nevertheless, with the water from the “dirty” wells, many, either knowingly or not, irrigate their fields or produce food in workshops and industries. Thus, according to experts, toxic substances end up on our plates and in our glasses through the food chain. “To Vima” today reveals the “red” spots of pollution in Attica as well as the maps that show the exact locations in the Mesogeia where total and hexavalent chromium, zinc, nitrate ions, arsenic, and chloride ions were detected – in some of these, the concentrations were found to be more than ten times the maximum limit for drinking water. The mapping of harmful toxic concentrations on scientific maps not only raises concern but confirms one of the worst nightmares… The quality of water in the broader area of Mesogeia is only satisfactory in the area of the new airport. The hydrological basin that starts from Kalyvia and develops regionally towards the areas of Markopoulo, Koropi, Paiania, Gerakas, Pallini, and Spata is severely degraded with nitrate concentrations exceeding ten times the drinking water limits, as revealed by the data from the IGME research program on groundwater. In the broader area of Koropi, IGME researchers, with a maximum permissible limit for nitrates of 50 ppm (parts per million), measured up to 500 ppm! “Based on the initial values that have been established, some in wells and others in boreholes, the first conclusion is that the groundwater horizon almost throughout Attica has been contaminated to such an extent that it is prohibited for any use, as it has been directly polluted by surface waters carrying sewage and waste,” notes IGME researcher Mr. Ch. Smyrniotis, commenting on the study’s results.
Nitrate levels above the limit (exceeding 100 ppm) have been detected in a two-kilometer wide zone from the coast in Nea Makri, at the outlet of the Oinoi valley, as well as in the marshy area of Schinias. The increased concentrations of nitrate ions are attributed to agricultural or past agribusiness activities, as well as to the uncontrolled disposal of urban wastewater from surrounding municipalities. Nitrates (substances also implicated in carcinogenic activity) are found in nitrogenous fertilizers, dissolve easily in water, and penetrate plants (through the roots), ultimately ending up in the human body through the food chain. The presence of nitrates in high concentrations in drinking water hinders the transport of oxygen in the blood, especially in infants (methemoglobinemia or cyanosis in infants). Treating such water to remove nitrates is particularly costly and complex. The over-extraction of water in areas that have been subjected to intense agricultural exploitation for decades (Marathon, Nea Makri, and Mesogeia).
