#oder river

Someone polluted second biggest river in Poland, the Oder. At least 10 tonnes of dead fish washed up on shores.

German broadcaster, citing information it obtained unofficially from a lab probing samples of the Oder River water, says that "high levels of mercury" ("hohe Werte von Quecksilber") were found in the samples.

This is grave environmental disaster and our gov only reaction was reporting this two weeks AFTER situation was observed.

I love to sit near river in my city and look at fishes, look at frogs and how sometimes bubbles are above water surface.

I can't explain in words how angry and sad I am at the goverment right now.

Won't say R.I.P Odra.

Polish Environment Minister Anna Moskwa announced on Thursday that lab tests showed toxic algae in water samples from the Oder River, which straddles Poland and Germany.

The discovery could explain the mass deaths of fish along parts of the river that had left experts baffled about the cause.

What's the latest?

The discovery of toxic algae could explain the fish deaths, but raises another question about what caused the algae to be present in large numbers.

"After further investigations, the Institute of Inland Fisheries in Olsztyn has found rare microorganisms, so-called golden algae, in water samples from the Oder river," Environment Minister Anna Moskwa said.

Moskwa said the blooms could cause the appearance of toxins that kill fish and clams. However, they are not harmful to humans.

German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke on Wednesday said the disaster had killed an estimated 36 tons of fish tallied in Germany alone.

What is golden algae?

Many species fall under the golden algae umbrella, but the term generally refers to just one in relation to fish deaths through toxicity — Prymnesium parvum.

The species produces several toxins, including ichthyotoxin — which specifically affects gill-breathing organisms such as fish, bivalves, crayfish, gilled amphibians, and also some species of plankton.

High levels of salinity, sulfate, and chloride have the greatest influence on golden algae distribution and bloom formation in inland waters.

Climate change could play a role, with higher temperatures leading to more water evaporating from inland waters and higher salinity levels.

The die-offs come as Germany experiences one of its driest summers in recent memory, with river levels falling across much of the country.

An unidentified highly toxic substance in the Oder River, which runs through Poland and Germany, appears to be the cause of a mass die-off of fish, the German state of Brandenburg’s environment ministry said on Friday (12 August).

An analysis of river water taken this week showed evidence of “synthetic chemical substances, very probably also with toxic effects for vertebrates,” the ministry said on Thursday, adding that it remained unclear how the substance entered the water.

According to local broadcaster rbb, the state laboratory found high levels of mercury in the water samples.

The head of Poland’s national water management authority told private broadcaster Polsat News that the presence of mercury in the water had yet to be confirmed, however.

“At the moment, these are press reports. We have no confirmation regarding mercury in the Oder,” Przemyslaw Daca, the head of Polish Waters, said.

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