In Response to Public Interest, National Environment Agency Intensifies Black Sea Water Quality Monitoring

Amidst mounting public concern, Georgia's National Environment Agency, under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture, has ramped up its surveillance of the Black Sea water quality. The agency has announced that it will now conduct checks at nine stations across the Black Sea every ten days.

These rigorous investigations will assess key physical-chemical parameters of the seawater, such as salinity, in addition to various biogenic elements and other metrics, the agency said in a statement.

"The samples will be forwarded to the National Environment Agency's laboratory for the analysis of atmospheric air, water, and soil. This facility adheres to modern standards and requirements and is outfitted with advanced analytical instruments. The lab holds accreditation under the ISO 17025 standard," the agency's press release added.

The agency also pledged full transparency in these endeavors, stating, "The results of the tests will be promptly communicated to the public following the completion of the laboratory investigations."

This heightened surveillance follows an alarming decrease in the salinity of the Black Sea, resulting from the demolition of the dam at the Kakhovki hydroelectric plant in Ukraine. The anthropogenic disaster, reportedly caused by Russia, poses serious long-term challenges to the entire Black Sea region. The area now faces potential chemical and microbiological contamination, raising risks of infection outbreaks. This development has sparked widespread public concern about the safety of swimming and vacationing in the Black Sea.