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Article

2 Mar 2015

Author:
Radio Tamazuj (South Sudan)

South Sudan: Study says oil production activities have rendered water unfit for consumption

"Study: ‘Direct link’ between oil exploration and water pollution in Unity"

The results of a new three-year scientific study show that oil production at Thar Jath and Mala fields in Unity State has polluted groundwater in the area to such an extent that it is no longer safe for human consumption...

According to the researchers, the source of the pollution is mud contaminated with chemicals used during oil exploration. The contaminated mud was dumped into pits which were not properly sealed, so the chemicals leaked into groundwater in local wells. “There is a direct link between the oil exploration and production in the northern part of Unity State and the contamination of drinking water in this area,” said Klaus Stieglitz, one of the study’s authors, who is also Vice Chairman of the German organization Sign of Hope.