The most polluted areas in Albania / Pogradec from ferro-nickel and mines, Rehova from copper mines

Albania continues to struggle with a heavy legacy of hazardous chemicals and heavy metals, deposited for decades in industrial, mining, and agricultural areas.

According to official documents from the National Environmental Agency and the National Integrated Waste Management Plan 2020–2035, several “hotspots” pose a serious threat both to the environment and to public health.

Elbasan and its metallurgical complex are among the most problematic areas, where more than 1.5 to 2 million tons of waste from heavy metals such as ferronickel and ferrochrome have been deposited, heavily contaminating the Shkumbin River.

The Balëz area in Elbasan has also been found polluted with chemical waste such as dichloromethane, arsenic salts, and ammonium nitrate. Although part of it was exported for disposal, unsafe deposits still remain.

The copper industry has left deep scars in Rrëshen, Kurbnesh, Rubik, Reps, Fushë Arrëz, Kalimash, and Gjegjan, where high concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals have been reported, polluting the Mat, Fan, Osum, and Drin rivers. This contamination directly affects agricultural land and drinking water. The Gjegjan area is considered one of the most polluted in the country.

Pogradec and the surroundings of Lake Ohrid remain threatened by ferronickel waste from the Përrenjas and Guri i Kuq mines, while in Rehovë, near the Greek border, pollution from the copper mine has severely damaged vegetation.

The oil industry in Ballsh, Kuçovë, and particularly Patos-Marinzë has polluted both surface and groundwater, spreading hydrocarbons and toxic gases into the air. Contamination has even reached the Gjanica River. In Fier, the former Azotik plant left behind 850 m³ of toxic solutions that seeped into soil and groundwater, containing arsenic. Old warehouses also store more than 93,000 kilograms of various chemicals.

Porto Romano in Durrës has ranked among the most polluted areas since the 1990s, with the presence of highly hazardous chemicals such as hexachlorocyclohexane and chromium (VI). Despite several internationally supported clean-up campaigns, the area remains a pollution source.

Another critical site is the Bajzë railway station in Shkodër, where more than 80 tons of chemical waste imported from Germany were deposited in the early 1990s. Some of this waste still remains unmanaged.

Laç, Lushnjë, and Vlorë are also reported with high pollution levels due to superphosphate, PVC, and heavy metal waste, affecting surrounding soil and water.

Environmental experts warn that these hotspots represent an ongoing risk, since chemicals deposited over the years have not been fully neutralized or safely eliminated.

Their monitoring and clean-up require significant funding and a long-term strategy to prevent the spread of pollution into ecosystems and public health.

“KORÇA BOOM”