As a result of the russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka Dam, water not only flooded entire cities, but also spread many deadly substances across southern Ukraine. Find out what environmentalists and doctors say about the risks of an infectious disease outbreak

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The water level in the flooded areas of Ukraine is gradually decreasing, but hundreds of square kilometers remain underwater. The global catastrophe caused by the russian federation not only threatens the lives of people and animals trapped in the water in southern Ukraine, but will also have serious environmental consequences for the entire world. In addition, doctors and ecologists emphasize the biological danger posed by the explosion of the Kakhovka Dam. After all, the water contains many hazardous substances that can cause not only outbreaks of intestinal infections, but also botulism, hepatitis, cholera, and even anthrax.

Intestinal infections, hepatitis and cholera

The southern regions of Ukraine have always been considered potentially favorable for the spread of acute intestinal infections and cholera due to the warm, humid climate and high groundwater table. However, the risk of disease has now increased hundreds of times. Dozens of cemeteries, filtration fields, landfills, cesspools and sewage pits, fields treated with nitrate fertilizers, and farms with livestock that could not be saved are underwater. A separate threat is the massive fish kill at the bottom of the Kakhovka Reservoir. In addition, the flooding has led to problems with drinking water in southern Ukraine, as wastewater is mixed with drinking water sources and water treatment systems are not working.

We wrote here about why putin ordered to blow up the Kakhovka Dam.

As of today, almost 90 observation groups have been assembled to take samples and monitor water quality in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. And unfortunately, the first deviations have already been recorded, in particular in the Ingulets River in Mykolaiv Oblast. The water contains a significant excess of the permissible level of suspended solids, as well as elevated levels of ammonium nitrogen, nitrite, chloride, and iron, which indicates that wastewater is entering the river.

Experts emphasize the prohibition of eating fish in flooded areas, as well as the need for thorough washing and heat treatment of all food products. In addition, only bottled water should be consumed.

Threat of anthrax outbreak

According to experts, anthrax is the most serious threat today. The fact is that on the left bank of the Dnipro River, between the villages of Korsunka and Dnipriany, there is a 50-70-year-old cattle cemetery where cattle with anthrax were buried. And now the whole area is underwater.

For many years, this area has been under constant monitoring by specialists who took the upper layers of soil for sampling, but now the water can erode deeper layers of soil, which poses a real threat of anthrax spores entering the Dnipro and the Black Sea.

As of now, the authorities have not commented on the threat of an outbreak of the terrible bacteriological infection.

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Danger to the Black Sea and territorial waters

Residents of coastal areas are urged not only not to swim in the sea and rivers, but also not to visit the coastline, because in addition to garbage, explosive objects washed up on the shore from the first line of russian defense and minefields.

In addition, in Odesa, people are reporting not only garbage, furniture and appliances, but also parts of metal structures and entire houses that were washed ashore after the dam was blown up.

Desalination and hazardous substances in the water pose a separate environmental threat to the territorial waters, which could lead to a massive death toll of fish and other marine life.

Photo: Getty Images

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