Mariupol is an ecological disaster zone

Problems

• Mariupol is an ecological disaster zone

  After the almost destruction of the city's infrastructure and industry by Russian bombs, there are problems on the horizon that could become a real catastrophe shortly.
   
  From the first days of the siege of Mariupol, the Russians purposefully destroyed most of the sewage pumping stations. And due to the lack of electricity, the surviving pumps did not work.
  Household waste collection in Mariupol was completely stopped, and landfills were located next to houses. Some of this waste was partially flooded with water from damaged water pipes and during the rains.
  This leads to the growth of pathogenic bacteria in this waste, which then also finds its way into the groundwater, rivers, and the sea.
  In addition, there are always rats and cockroaches in the garbage and food waste dumps. They also spread many dangerous diseases and are generally dangerous to humans.
  
  Another critical problem is the threat of complete extinction of the Sea of Azov. The bombing of Azovstal may have damaged the technical structure holding back tens of thousands of tons of concentrated hydrogen sulfide solution.
  
  The leakage of this liquid will completely kill the flora and fauna of the Sea of Azov. Further hazardous substances can get into the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
  However, hydrogen sulfide is not the greatest threat, as ecologist Vladislav Balinsky reports. According to the expert, a much greater danger to the environment may be high concentrations of salts of heavy metals formed during the production of steel (bismuth, mercury, copper, nickel, lead), as well as sulfur oxides in the form of sulfurous anhydride and sulfuric acid.
  Salts of heavy metals dissolved in water can be transmitted by food chains and accumulate in the organisms of dolphins, seabirds, and people who eat seafood.
  
  After all the war crimes that have been committed against Mariupol and its nature, the only optimal solution would be to demolish the Azovstal plant for the sake of environmental safety. 
  
  But the destroyed metallurgical plant and the threat of chemical spills are not the only problems in the city. Chaotic mass graves right in the yards of residential buildings and decomposing bodies also have a great impact on the environment.
  
  The city is on the verge of an outbreak of infectious diseases
  One of the most serious threats is corpses and the resulting introduction of cadaveric poison (ptomaine compounds), bacteria, mycobacterium tuberculosis, and other pathogens that the dead may have had, into the water supply system, underground springs, and rivers with the sea.
  Thus, the process of decomposition of the protein mass is accompanied by the emergence of Gram-positive microflora - it is this that poses a threat because it includes various staphylococci, including Staphylococcus aureus, putrefactive bacteria, etc. 
  
  This is why many activists and servicemen are actively cleaning up the areas, and from all the ravines, dugouts, and the like, they try to remove all the corpses to ensure epidemiological safety. If this is not done, there is a cascade effect, when the entire ecosystem in this territory begins to collapse. That is why the WHO is sounding the alarm about a possible epidemic in Mariupol.  It could be cholera, a dysentery epidemic, or any viral epidemic related to the gastrointestinal tract. Its main cause, however, is a lack of medicine, a dysfunctional medical system, and a lack of laboratories in a ruined city.
  
  Natalia Lisnevskaya, a lawyer, specialist in medical law, and Deputy Minister of Health in 2014-2015, said that the humanitarian disaster that the Russians created in Mariupol is a violation of the Geneva Conventions, and a court could recognize it as genocide of Ukrainians:
  
  "There could be cholera outbreaks in Mariupol and the surrounding areas because we have water supply problems, surface dumping, mixing sewage water from sewers with drinking water, a humanitarian disaster. This is forbidden by international conventions, it can lead to the extinction of people and yes, it can be called genocide," she said. 
  
  Natalia Lisnevskaya also drew attention to the fact that the WHO also makes similar predictions and prepares to supply all necessary vaccines:
  
  "Forewarned is forearmed. We are now ringing all the bells and talking about the likelihood of such a problem. It is better not to use an extra vaccine, but to know that we are prepared for a critical situation. That is why it is positive that we draw attention to this situation," she comments. 
  
  However, the WHO has not yet responded globally, but only partially mentions the epidemiological situation in Mariupol.