A courtain with black rain drops coming down from it

Water Quality

Cloudy Waters

Water quality concerns along the Euphrates

Published: 22 Mar, 2024

Story by UNDP Syria and Onewater

Oil

Much of Syria’s oil fields and refineries are located in the vicinity of the Euphrates River. For example, one of the main oil producing regions is in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor province.

Since the start of the conflict in Syria, there has been a notable rise in the level of oil pollution in the Euphrates River. This is because much oil is smuggled into the country and then sold on.

A barrel of crude oil is bought for roughly 20,000 Syrian pounds (USD$ 39) and then sold for 28,000 Syrian pounds (USD$ 54) (ibid). Some traders also refine the crude oil to make diesel, gasoline and kerosene, which they sell for an even higher price.

The oil is smuggled using primitive, unsafe methods which often lead to oil spills. It has been noted that many plastic containers and barrels are not securely sealed when picking up the oil and are collected with ropes and then dragged onto boats. As a result, there are often leakages from the barrels and higher levels of oil pollution near smuggling points in the river. The process is entirely unregulated due to its illegal nature

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) are a group of over 100 different toxic chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil, gas, wood, and other organic substances.

PAH are known for their persistence in the environment and their potential to bioaccumulate, meaning they can build up in the tissues of living organisms over time and along the food chain.

In the Euphrates River, PAHs primarily originate from the combustion of petroleum products and refining processes. They pose significant ecological and health risks.

These toxic substances adversely affect the river's aquatic life, disrupting reproductive, developmental, and immune systems and potentially causing mutations in both plants and animals.

The increasing presence of these substances also impacts local communities. For example, many residents have complained about the taste of diesel in drinking water.

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Heavy metals

The Euphrates River in Syria is polluted with heavy metals. These are a group of elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water. They are notable for being toxic at low concentrations. In the environment, heavy metals can in living organisms, leading to bioaccumulation and biomagnification.

The sources of contamination in the Euphrates come from both natural and anthropogenic factors. Natural sources of heavy metals in the river include processes such as rock weathering, soil erosion, and the dissolution of water-soluble minerals. Anthropogenic sources, including industrial activities, agricultural runoff, and urbanisation, also contribute to the pollution of the river with heavy metals.

The main pollutants of concern in the Euphrates River are cadmium, copper, and chromium, with high concentrations being reported in the water and sediments. Furthermore, other heavy metals such as nickel, zinc, and lead have also been detected in the river, although at lower concentrations.

The heavy metal contamination of the Euphrates River not only impacts the immediate aquatic environment but also poses a risk to the health of communities that rely on the river for water, agriculture, and fishing.

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Sewage

Worldwide, approximately 50% of wastewater is released into the environment without treatment. Similarly, in the Euphrates untreated sewage often ends up in the river and its tributaries. This results in increasing nutrient levels and coliform bacteria counts in all 3 riparian countries.

In Syria, around 70% of sewage remains untreated, posing significant environmental and public health challenges.

This is partially related to the crisis taking place in the country. Since 2011, 2/3 of water treatment plants and 25% of sewage treatment plants have been damaged.

As a result of declining levels of water quality and quantity, sources of safe drinking water are becoming less available for the Syrian population.

In 2022, it was estimated that approximately 42% of the population was dependent on alternative and/or unsafe sources of water to meet their water needs.

For instance, when buying water from informal vendors, there is often no way of verifying whether or not the water was properly treated. In many cases, vendors take water directly from the Euphrates and falsely claim that it has been purified.

The result of this is the spread of water-borne diseases across the country, such as cholera.

On 10th September 2022, the Syrian Health Ministry declared a cholera outbreak in the country following 15 laboratory-confirmed cases and 1 death (Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2023).

From August 2022 to January 2023, approximately 85,000 cholera cases were reported in Syria with a fatality rate of 0.12%. 48% of these were in northeast Syria, where the Euphrates is located.

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