Drought lowers river levels, exacerbating water pollution
Possibility of inflow of oxidizer component into river water
A group of fish died in the Oder River in Poland, and authorities are investigating the cause.
On the 11th (local time), Archyde.com reported that a group of fish died in a 200km section of the Oder River north of the town of Owaba in the southwestern city of Lower Silesi, and volunteers and anglers removed at least 10 tons of carcasses the day before.
The Oder River is a major river in Poland, starting in the Czech Republic and flowing 742 km between Poland and Germany to the Baltic Sea, forming the Polish-German border.
According to reports, authorities believe that water pollution may have worsened as the water level of the river has been lowered due to the recent drought. There is also the possibility that strong oxidizing substances may have been introduced into the river water and cause the fish to die as oxygen levels increased.
Poland’s environmental authorities have notified the prosecution of the contamination of the Oder River, and Prime Minister Matteusi Moraviecki has said that “the person responsible for polluting the river will be found and punished.”
Meanwhile, some German municipalities adjacent to the Oder River have urged local residents not to enter the river until the cause of the mass death of the fish is known and not to eat the fish caught there.
Reporter Lee Bo-bae, Hankyung.com [email protected]