Kerch strait spill: Cancer-causing chemical found in soil
After the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, scientists discovered a dangerous concentration of the carcinogenic compound benzo(a)pyrene in the soil from the local beaches. This discovery raises serious concerns about public health and environmental conditions.
On 15th December, a disaster involving two Russian tankers, Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239, occurred in the Kerch Strait, resulting in the spill of at least 4,400 tonnes of fuel oil into the sea.
This strait, located between Russia and the annexed Crimea, has become a site of serious environmental threat.
Dangerous concentration of benzo(a)pyrene
According to reports from the independent Russian portal Moscow Times, citing research from the Russian Academy of Sciences, soil collected from the beaches in the spill area detected benzo(a)pyrene in a concentration exceeding the acceptable norm by over 22.5 times.
Benzo(a)pyrene is a carcinogenic substance that poses a serious threat to human health.
Clean-up operations
The operational staff of the Krasnodar Region reported that so far, 16,500 tonnes of contaminated sand from the beaches have been sifted and cleaned. In total, over 195,000 tonnes of contaminated sand and soil have been collected and removed. Specialised equipment was used to clean 265 kilometres of coastline, highlighting the scale of the problem.
Food safety
Despite the severe contamination, authorities assure that fish caught in the Black Sea are safe to consume. A total of 866 tests were conducted on various fish and seafood products, which showed no irregularities.
The information comes from a report published by the Polish Press Agency, which references data collected by Russian and local authorities. The disaster in the Kerch Strait is another example of how crucial it is to monitor and protect the environment in the face of increasing ecological threats.
