An unknown highly toxic substance in the German-Polish Oder river has been blamed for the mass die-off of fish.
Synthetic chemical , The German state of Brandenburg’s environment ministry said analysis of river water showed evidence of “synthetic chemical substances, very probably also with toxic effects for vertebrates.” It remains unclear how the substance entered the water. Tonnes of dead fish were hauled out of a 200-kilometre stretch of the river earlier this week, with the situation labelled an ecological catastrophe by water authorities. The Oder flows 854 kilometres in total through Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic, making it one of the largest rivers in central Europe. At least 10 tonnes of fish have been pulled from the water in the last two weeks.
According to local broadcaster RBB, the state laboratory found high levels of mercury in the water samples. However the head of Poland’s national water management authority told private broadcaster Polsat News the presence of mercury in the water was yet to be confirmed. “At the moment, these are press reports. We have no confirmation regarding mercury in the Oder,” Przemyslaw Daca, the head of Polish Waters, said. The Brandenburg ministry said it had not yet been possible to assess how many fish had died across Poland and Germany.
“The chains of communication between the Polish and German sides did not work in this case,” Brandenburg environment minister Axel Vogel said. He added German authorities had received no notification from Poland on the incident. Germans in the Uckermark and Barnim districts were advised to avoid contact with water from the Oder and an adjacent canal in a warning sent to residents earlier this week. The region is also home to a nature reserve.
Source: This news is originally published by abc