The results of monitoring heavy metals and chemicals in Aras River show that its sediments contain heavy metals that are non-polluting.
Monitoring of the river is being conducted in 17 stations across three provinces: Ardabil, East Azarbaijan and West Azarbaijan, according to Shina Ansari, head of the Monitoring Office at the Department of Environment, IRNA reported.
Ansari warned that the river is threatened by other factors, including mineral waste from copper and molybdenum mines located upstream and household waste.
“A bilateral meeting of environment ministers and senior officials of Iran and Armenia was held two months ago in which the river’s problems were discussed in detail,” she said, adding that it was decided that the two states work together to continuously monitor Aras’ pollutant levels.
She said since it is possible for some pollutants to enter the stream from the neighboring Azerbaijan Republic, “it is important to strike a similar agreement”.
Last month, Behnam Giglou, Ardabil’s representative in the High Council of Provinces, called on officials to address the river’s pollution caused by sewage from Armenian power plants and aluminum factories.
“The river’s pollution poses serious health risks to people living in northwestern Iran, particularly in Moghan Plain, Ardabil Province, where cancer fatality rate is high,” he said at the time.
