This extraordinary event in Armyansk led to the convening of special meetings of state authorities in the Kherson region and the capital. The probable causes of the incident are investigated as well as possible short-term and long-term effects, and measures aimed at minimizing harm are being developed. Ukraine draws attention to this circumstance of the international community, which was caused by the behavior of the occupation forces on the peninsula as well as long-year mismanagement of Dmytro Firtash business structures.
Since 2004, the state-owned joint-stock company "Titan" received an unknown at that time minor stakeholder – the company Ostchem Germany GmbH, which belongs to the business empire of Dmitry Firtash. Since that time, European companies, producing titanium dioxide, stopped to use open acid storage, while the so-called private investor in Crimea only pumped out financial and material resources, almost without taking care of modernization. Although until 2014 there was no information on significant violations of environmental requirements, the technical condition of the company continued to deteriorate. The situation deteriorated even more after the annexation of the Crimea by Russia and narrowing of possibilities even for minimal investments. Registered in Kyiv as “Ukrainian Chemical Products” and in Moscow as "Titanium Investments", Dmitry Firtash company continued to operate mercilessly the plant while utilizing shadow schemes for delivering Ukrainian ilmenite through offshore companies and overloading in the territorial waters of neighboring Black Sea states, mainly Turkey. Almost immediately after the annexation of Crimea by Russia, the "Crimean Titan" stopped taking care of the fulfillment of the minimum environmental requirements. It was immediately perceived by inhabitants of the occupied territories nearby and neighboring settlements of Kherson region too. However, the problem was not raised at the highest official level, mainly due to a huge number of other complex issues which needed urgent solutions. Now a special interdepartmental group conducts the study of chemical analyzes from acid storage, which is located on the territory of the Kherson region, as well as samples from the Lemurian lake. The results will be brought to the competent authorities and it would be desirable for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine to join this issue and contribute to the fight against the aggressor.
Meanwhile, the occupation authorities do not shy away from allegations against Ukraine, and the Russian propaganda machine is struggling to shift the blame, saying that the main reason is a lack of sufficient water supply. During the period of occupation, the level of water reserves in acid storage containers dropped from the standard 30 million m3 to less than 2 million m2 and continues to deteriorate. Some relief of the situation is expected after the stoppage of the plant, which has already been repeatedly stated by representatives of the occupation authorities, but here it is necessary to understand that this is a temporary measure before the first rains and cooling off, because Dmitry Firtash will not suffer losses due to some "harmful emissions", as they are not detrimental to him, but only to the local population.
These problems are caused by the emission of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, compounds of sulfur with oxygen, which can transform into sulfuric acid under the influence of temperature decrease and in the presence of water. Rust on metal objects is explained by the accelerated chemical reaction of oxidation, where sulfuric acid is the catalyst. It is also the cause of skin and mucosal lesions and chemical skin burns.
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The threshold of irritating action of sulfur dioxide is at the level of 20 mg / m, acute toxic are higher concentrations (above the threshold of irritation). At a concentration of 20 - 60 mg / m3 sulfur dioxide burns the mucous airways and eyes (sneezing, cough), at 120 mg / m3 causes shortness of breath, cyanosis, an human being tolerates this concentration only for 3 minutes. By impact within 1 min. at a concentration of 300 mg / m3, one loses consciousness.
The dependence of the frequency of acute respiratory diseases and chronic diseases of lungs in adults and children on the pollution of atmospheric air sulfur dioxide is proven. The threshold of reflex action on the functional state of the cerebral cortex is 0.6 mg / m3. When studying the smell of sulfur dioxide for a person, it turned out that most persons smell gas at a concentration of 2.6 mg / m3, and the most sensitive - even 1.6 mg / m3. Thus, maximum concentration doze of 0.5 mg / m3 is below the threshold for sensation of smell and reflex effect on the breathing and the functional state of the cerebral cortex. With simultaneous presence in the air of sulfur dioxide and SO3 sulfur trioxide, the maximum concentration doze of both substances is significantly reduced; the toxicity of sulfur dioxide increases dramatically with the simultaneous action of sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide CO. At a concentration of sulfur dioxide in the air 26 mg / m3 coniferous trees die within a few hours. At 5.2 - 25.0 mg / m3 there is an acute poisoning of coniferous and deciduous breeds, and at 1.8 - 5.2 mg / m3 there is a chronic poisoning of them.
Getting into the atmosphere and interacting with water, harmful compounds will fall on the ground in the form of acid rains. These rains will fall not only in Armyansk and in the territory of the occupied Crimea, but also, possibly, in the territory of mainland Ukraine, due to the movement of air masses with rainy clouds.
The degree of area damages will also depend on the relief. Getting to the earth's surface, polluted water masses obey the power of surface runoff. Actually, the soil absorbs partially water with the dissolved acid directly in the place where it hits, and the other part - will run down the slopes. Accordingly, the degree of acidity of the soil in a certain area will be uneven. In agricultural fields, the effect of soil acidity will be manifested in the form of damage to plant tissues, reduced yields, and died plants. As a result of precipitation of acid rain, the acid will wash away the metals that are necessary for the life and development of plants, and replace them with harmful compounds. As a result, the plants will absorb more harmful compounds, which, in turn, will cause a greater degree of contamination of the final agricultural products. People who consume such products will have a greater chance of developing malignant tumors and diseases of the digestive system.
Due to surface runoff, the streams of rainwater fall into the rivers. This will cause the acidification of the coastal strip further along the course, the death of fish and damage to the tissues of waterfowl and river mammals.
It is possible to solve the problem of soil acidification. To neutralize excess acidity, soil lubrication is carried out. The lime CaCO3, reacting with the carbonic acid of the soil, passes into a soluble Ca (HCO3)2.
The dose of lime is calculated by the hydrolytic acidity of the arable horizon. The introduced dose of lime should completely neutralize the intake of H + ions. If the 20-centimeter layer of soil has a density of 1.3 g / cm3, its weight on the area of 1 hectare will be 2600 tons. It is proven, that for neutralization of 1 g-eq of hydrolytic acidity per 100 g of soil per 1 hectare 1,3 t СаСО3 should be added. However, not a full dose of lime, but a part of it depending on the biological characteristics of cultivated plants, is introduced into the soil.
On both sides of Sivash the plant is already undergoing chemical processing of territories, roads and settlements. Currently, the degree of soil pollution and the ways of neutralizing the consequences are being considered. Ukrainian specialists are unlikely to receive reliable data from the occupied territory; therefore the results will be the amount of information that was collected on Kherson land.
It is already clear that the solution of these environmental problems will require many millions hryvnias (liming and mineral fertilization to arable land), and not one year will be spent before nature can recover from the consequences of human negligence or attack by a vicious aggressor. Whether it is well thought out, there are great doubts about this, but the actions of the aggressor every year multiply the damage to Crimea, because of land degradation, water depletion and pollution as a result of large-scale militarization, with a chemical catastrophe being recently added too. What will happen tomorrow on this isolated from the civilized world of the peninsula area, it is not difficult to guess, since uncontrolled behaviour generates impunity, and the lack of sufficient resources – desire to reduce spending of everything that does not provide direct benefits.
Ukraine has to take a number of actions that will present to the world community this next crime of the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea and force to stop activities that directly harm our national interests:
1) Carry out a comprehensive study of the consequences of this technogenic disaster and assess the impact on the current situation and prospect, to communicate its results to the world community and to emphasize the exclusive responsibility of Russia;
2) To recognize officially this disaster as a fact that is comparable to the use of chemical weapons against Ukraine and our citizens due to Russia's unlawful and irresponsible actions;
2) Investigate the illegal trade with ilmenite mined in Ukraine and block the channels of its penetration into the occupied Crimea;
3) Investigate the illegal activities of Dmytro Firtash's structures in Crimea with the imposition of appropriate penalties, including the introduction of a sanction list and the initiation of negotiations with international partners on the necessity of re-privatization of the assets, owned by this oligarch;
4) To verify Dmytro Firtash's other assets in Ukraine, in particular, nitrogen enterprises on the subject of compliance with allowable emission doses and to implement measures aimed at further reducing the harmful effects on the environment and citizens and to take necessary actions in case of violation, including expropriation of assets.
Author: V.Danilchenko, 3rd year student of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Edited by: Andrii Chubyk
