Today, September 25th, 2021, experts from the Black Sea Basin Directorate-Varna and the Regional Laboratory at the Executive Environment Agency carried out an inspection and sampling by boat of the Maritime Administration Directorate-Varna, on a signal for leakage of nitrogen fertilizers in the sea from the cargo ship “Vera Su” that is run aground near Kamen Bryag.

By order of Black Sea Basin Directorate, two water samples were taken from the sea waters. The first was taken in immediate proximity to the ship in the direction of the open sea, and the second from in front of the bow of the ship, where the alleged cargo leakage was suspected.

The express sampling for the indicators pH and dissolved oxygen, do not show deviations from the norms. The transparency of the water was measured on the spot to be at 6.5 m. The on-site inspection did not reveal any opalescence and traces of oil products in the sea around the ship.

Based on the information known so far on the chemical composition of the cargo, it is important to determine whether there are above-norm values ​​of: ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and nitrite nitrogen. The results from the sample analysis will show whether there is sea pollution.

The Varna Regional Laboratory is ready to process the water samples taken today as a matter of urgency, so these can be analyzed and the results disclosed to the institutions and the general public as soon as possible.

The Black Sea Basin Directorate will continue to monitor the state of the waters in the Black Sea in the area of ​​the run-aground ship and is ready to take all measures in accordance with its competencies to prevent environmental damage on the occasion of subsequent emergency rescue operations.