Due to a fire at the solid waste landfill in the Starobohorodchany community, levels of pollutants have been recorded as exceeding the norm by a multiple. Carbon monoxide levels at the epicenter exceeded the norm by more than 10 times.
This was reported by Suspilne media, citing a publication by the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Chronology of events
A fire broke out on May 4 at the Starobohorodchany landfill near Bohorodchany. Household waste caught fire over an area of 300 m² near the Mochary tract.
The State Emergency Service deployed 15 rescuers from four rescue units, a firefighting team from Pidhiria, and four pieces of specialized equipment to extinguish the fire. The main fire was contained at 5:02 p.m., but as of 5:00 a.m. on May 5, firefighting operations were still ongoing.
Source: SES in Ivano-Frankivsk region
Residents were warned about the threat from toxic smoke and advised to keep windows closed and, if possible, avoid being outdoors.
Toxic emissions
Specialists collected samples from three locations: at the epicenter of the fire, near the site entrance, and at the boundary of the sanitary protection zone.
Carbon monoxide (carbon oxide). The acceptable standard is 5 mg/m3; measured concentrations were 54, 32, and 5.2 mg/m3 at increasing distance from the ignition center.
Nitrogen dioxide. The standard is 0.2 mg/m3. Concentrations at the three points were 1.8, 0.22, and less than 0.2 mg/m3.
“According to the results of the situation review following the ignition at the solid household waste landfill in the Mochary tract of Starobohorodchany community, the commission adopted a protocol,” the statement said.
EcoPolitic previously reported that leachate from the landfill was the cause of a mass fish die-off in the Zhytomyr region.
At the same time, reclamation of the Hrybovychi landfill in Lviv region continues. Tulips are now blooming there instead of garbage.
