More on Radioactivity in Disi Aquifer

To begin with, I am attaching at the end of this post the full manuscript of the paper that caused the controversy in Jordan regarding the findings of high concentrations of Radium in samples from the Disi aquifer. I have received the paper from my fellow blogger Mohannad Arabiyat only minutes after publishing my initial post. He accessed it through his University library. Few hours ago I received it also from the lead author Dr Avner Vengosh.

Dr Vengosh said in his e-mail to me: " I was very puzzled and shocked to see some reactions in the media (e.g. Jordan Times) and I did not want to put more flames into the fire. I can assure you that the only "agenda" we have is the search for an unbiased science. The important point is that we also provided in the paper some solutions for treatment of the high radium water but the media has ignored that aspect. The water can be treated as part of a management plan and this should not have any effects on the overall Disi project, beside the additional cost of the treatment."

On Monday, both the Minister of Water and Irrigation and the Jordan Nuclear Regulatory Commission (JNRC) expressed their take on the study. The JNRC described it as "inaccurate" while the Minister of Water had a more convincing statement by saying that "They [the researchers] didn’t take water samples from wells owned by the Jordan Water Authority [JWA], but from wells owned by the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and this water is used for washing the phosphate… I’m certain that no one took any samples from wells owned by the JWA". This is exactly the kind of response that is needed but a thorough scrutinization of the results is required by Jordanian researchers especially regarding the use of water from irrigation wells and potential accumulation of Radium in soils.

However, the Minister said that "I’m not sure if the researchers in charge of the study had permission from the government or any other entity to carry out the study, but we have strict standards for drinking water and we abide by them". In this particular statement, I am not sure that whether any researcher requires permission from the government to work. Research should be open and free. You can argue and discuss results but not disallow research.

Another perspective was expressed by the MP Mubarak Abu Yameen, who chairs the Lower House Legal Committee, questioned the participation of Jordanian researchers including president of the Balqa Applied University Dr Omar Rimawi in the study that included the participation of Israeli scientists.

This dangerous mix of science, politics and economy is getting volatile and I am afraid that the real science and facts are pushed to the margins of debate. What I need as a concerned Jordanian citizen and consumer is sound scientific proofs and not political arguments and accusations of hidden agendas.

Hydrologist Dr Nizar Abu Jaber wrote an interesting post in his Jordanian Science and Engineering Blog that I advise you all to read.