NGO “Mama-86 Nova Kakhovka” expresses deep concern about low level of dissolved oxygen in Dnieper river water. This year concentration of dissolved oxygen is 4 mg/l that is lower compared to 5.7 mg/l in previous year.

Thaisia Kozak, Head of “Mama-86 Nova Kakhovka”, said, “If this trend will continue, in the summer the oxygen level may drop to 0 mg/l what create threat for fish’s life”. Dissolved oxygen that remains below 1–2 mg/l for a few hours can result in large fish kills. As seeing by Taisia Kozak, the main cause of such situation is pollution and siltation of the river.

NGO conducts analysis of the Dnieper river water by 3 parameters, including pH, turbidity and dissolved oxygen 3 times per year: in autumn, spring and summer. This year water analysis on 17 April did not show the nitrates and pH and turbidity levels were in optimal range, while dissolved oxygen was below normal levels (the low level can be 5 mg/l).

“We are concerned about low levels of oxygen in river water”, Thaisia Kozak says, “and we are going to discuss this problem with the competent authorities, today we send the proposals to the State ecological Inspection in Kherson region.” As the Head of “Mama-86 Nova Kakhovka” states that the organization also raised in the statement the issues, which need an urgent measures, such as waste sorting, electronic waste collection, and strengthening banks of the Kakhovka Reservoir. Another important issue is the construction by firm “Absolut” of pharmaceutical storage in the sanitary protection zone of Nova Kakhovka Water Utility, that can cause significant damage to the environment.

All these questions will be discussed at the meeting of the Public Council of State Ecological Inspection in Kherson region on 26 April 2014.