BEIRUT: Lebanon’s waters are severely contaminated, according to the findings of a seven-year research project that was conducted by the National Council of Scientific Research in Lebanon (CNRS-L) and funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“Our seas are filled with chemical and bacterial pollution. The latter can be reduced easily but the former can affect our waters for generations,” said Dr. Gaby Khalaf, the director of the marine center at CNRS-L.
One of the primary sources of pollution comes from the heavily industrialized district of Dora, where the sewage system often releases bacterial residue into the water. The district also hosts numerous toxic plant sites that produce chemical sediments such as mercury and lead.
Teodoro Mhano, an Italian member of the CANA-CNRS steering committee, said Lebanon was only one of many countries struggling to address the impact of sea pollution on an administrative level. “All countries located on the Mediterranean have an important role to play to take care of our sea,” Mhano said. “The sea is just as important as the land for our health and prosperity.”
(A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on October 27, 2015
“Our seas are filled with chemical and bacterial pollution. The latter can be reduced easily but the former can affect our waters for generations,” said Dr. Gaby Khalaf, the director of the marine center at CNRS-L.
One of the primary sources of pollution comes from the heavily industrialized district of Dora, where the sewage system often releases bacterial residue into the water. The district also hosts numerous toxic plant sites that produce chemical sediments such as mercury and lead.
Teodoro Mhano, an Italian member of the CANA-CNRS steering committee, said Lebanon was only one of many countries struggling to address the impact of sea pollution on an administrative level. “All countries located on the Mediterranean have an important role to play to take care of our sea,” Mhano said. “The sea is just as important as the land for our health and prosperity.”
(A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on October 27, 2015
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