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High gut bacteria levels in Gulf |
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News -
Health
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Thursday, 18 March 2010 09:44 |
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KUWAIT: Large amounts of a variety of bacteria found in the human digestive system have been discovered in Kuwait's offshore waters.
The bacteria apparently exceed the international limits for offshore areas and could pose a serious threat to the Kuwaiti waters' marine ecosystem, said an Environmental Public Authority (EPA) official.
The bacteria were detected over the past two months during the regular tests carried out by the EPA to assess water quality, which have been intensified following the recent Mishref sewage plant disaster that saw large amounts of raw sewage being dumped straight into the Gulf.
Senior EPA officials reportedly held an emergency meeting recently to discuss the Mishref plant's continued illegal dumping of untreated raw sewage into the Gulf and the adverse effects this has had on marine life there.
Although the EPA has stated publicly that the liquid sewage is treated chemically before being transferred to the Gulf, its announcement about the bacteria discovery and the recent meeting seem to contradict this, reported Al-Watan.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has reportedly stopped pumping oxygen into the Gulf waters to maintain a balance, which one environmental expert warned could increase the likelihood of large numbers of the fish in Kuwaiti waters dying off during summer. - Kuwait Times
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