Maria Girich, Researcher of the International Best Practices Analysis Department at the Gaidar Institute, commented for Rossiyskaya Gazeta on the situation around the Dniester river pollution caused by a spill of Ukrainian petrochemicals.. The expert warned of serious risks for the population of Moldova and the Black Sea ecosystem, where the border river flows.
Maria Girich emphasized that the scale of disaster could affect millions of people. According to the UN, approximately 7 million people live in the Dniester basin, for whom the river is a key source of water. The expert noted the specific nature of such disasters: "Oil spills in inland waters often pose a greater danger to the population than marine incidents, as they occur near water intakes, populated areas, and agricultural lands. Collecting oil in a river is significantly more difficult than in the sea. The current quickly carries the slick downstream, the pollution lingers on the banks and vegetation, and some of it sinks into bottom sediments," explained Maria Girich.
The expert also noted that the nature of the consequences will directly depend on the chemical composition of the spilled substances. According to available data, there is a suggestion of a rocket fuel leaking into the water. As Maria Girich explained, light fractions of this fuel pose a different hazard than conventional oil: they penetrate the water column more quickly and contain soluble toxic components that immediately affect living organisms. However, heavier oil products, remaining as oil films, can cause long-term damage to river ecosystems.
The success of protective measures, according to the expert, currently depends entirely on the efficiency of emergency services.