The Emergencies Ministry of Ukraine has reported that there has been no change in the level of contamination of the Ukrainian section of the Danube River following the red toxic sludge accident in Hungary.
"The state hydrometeorological service reported that according to the Danube Hydrometeorological Observatory, no change in the level of contamination of the Ukrainian section of the Danube was registered on October 24 at 1200," the press service of the Emergencies Ministry reported on Tuesday.
According to a report by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube of October 25, at the Hungarian section of the Danube River the iron content dropped slightly compared to the previous day to 0.415 mg/cdm (the normal level is 0.20 mg/cdm). The level of pH is 8.08 (the acceptable range is 6.5-8.5) and concentrations of heavy metals are within the acceptable range.
Samples of water (heavy metals) taken from the River Danube in Ukrainian waters are within the acceptable range and do not exceed background levels.
The Emergencies Ministry also said that the state of the water in the Ukrainian section of the Danube and at water supply points is continually monitored.
"At present there is no threat of contamination [of Ukrainian] reservoirs," the press service of the ministry said.
As reported, toxic red sludge burst out of a reservoir at an alumina plant in the Hungarian town of Ajka on October 4.
President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych gave a range of orders following the ecological disaster in Hungary, including checks of the state of facilities in Ukraine that are potentially hazardous to the environment.
