A new scientific study warned of a high rate of heavy metal pollution in the two branches of the Nile River Delta, noting that this pollution endangers 60 million people.
According to the study prepared by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, heavy metal pollution, coastal erosion and seawater intrusion pose an existential threat to the Nile River Delta, reports Al-Rai daily.
The researchers involved in the study analyzed contamination levels of eight heavy metals in bottom sediment samples collected from two branches of the Nile River Delta.
The results of the analysis showed a high rate of pollution in the Nile River with heavy metals such as nickel, zinc, lead and copper.
It was found that the source of these pollutants resulted from untreated agricultural drainage, in addition to sewage water, whether municipal or industrial.
Also, the river’s ability to expel pollutants towards the sea has declined due to the growing and huge dams upstream that prevent water flows.
The study notes that the impact of Nile pollution is particularly evident in Egypt, the most populous and driest country in the Nile Basin.
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