Results of soil and water testing in kindergartens and schools of Kapan, Syunik and Achanan communities, Syunik Marz, Republic of Armenia

Abstract

This report provides the results of independent soil and water monitoring for heavy-metal pollution in the kindergartens and schools of the City of Kapan and Villages of Syunik and Achanan (Syunik Marz, Republic of Armenia) performed by the American University of Armenia (AUA) Center for Responsible Mining (CRM). Historically, Kapan community is one of the mining centers of Armenia. The city has one of the largest mining companies in Armenia, the “Kapan Mining and Processing Enterprise” with the Kapan copper-pyrite open pit and Shaumyan gold-polymetallic underground mines and Geghanush tailing pond. The communities affected by mining activities are Kapan city and nearby located Syunik and Achanan villages. The soil monitoring in the Communities of Kapan, Syunik and Achanan was performed for 11 kindergartens, 5 secondary and 6 primary schools.4 A total of 3917 children study in the kindergartens and schools. Permissions were obtained from authorized bodies to conduct the sampling and testing. This included permissions received from the municipalities for kindergarten and the Marz government for the schools. The soil and water sampling and testing were conducted and documented according to protocols developed by the AUA Center for Responsible Mining based on international standards and guidance.