In Kuban, rice with arsenic and lead growing near a landfill with solid waste was removed from circulation

In September 2023, Rosselkhoznadzor, with the involvement of employees of the Federal Center for Assessment of Grain Safety and Quality, discovered an excess of lead and arsenic in paddy rice growing near a solid household waste landfill in the Krasnoarmeysky district of the Krasnodar Territory. Rice has been withdrawn from circulation and there is no threat of it ending up on shelves, she said. press service Southern regional department of the department.

“After harvesting, based on the examinations received, the Rosselkhoznadzor department removed this rice from circulation, the movement of products from the warehouse was completely eliminated, and there was no threat of rice getting onto the shelves,” says the Rosselkhoznadzor press release.

The department claims that excess levels of heavy metals in rice growing near the solid waste landfill have not previously been detected. An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is now underway; scientists from the Federal Rice Research Center have been involved in the investigation, the press service added.

Residents of the village of Poltavskaya, which is the administrative center of the Krasnoarmeysky district, have been demanding the closure of the solid waste landfill for several months due to its impact on the environment. In mid-September with them met Governor of the Krasnodar Territory Veniamin Kondratyev. He said that the authorities will not allow the landfill to approach the village.

On September 22, activists calling for the closure of the landfill reported Telegram channelthat Mr. Kondratyev ordered the closure of the landfill within two to three years.

Erdni Kagaltynov