Following the demise of the fish in the Oder river. - Poland confronts the expansion of harmful golden algae outbreaks
Hydrogen Peroxide to Combat Golden Alga Blooms
Polish authorities are attempting to control the spread of the dangerous golden alga in the Oder's tributaries with harmful chemicals, such as hydrogen peroxide. In recent times, hydrogen peroxide has been employed in a segment of the Gleiwitzer Canal, linked to the Oder, as reported by the Ministry of Climate and Environment in Warsaw. "Preliminary studies suggest that the hydrogen peroxide disrupted the golden alga's cells and led to a reduction of this alga by 90 to 99.9 percent."
Hydrogen Peroxide: Short-Term Solution
Environment Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska emphasized that the use of hydrogen peroxide is only a temporary solution. "Our main objective is, of course, to decrease the pollutants flowing into the reservoir, the Gleiwitzer Canal, and ultimately, the Oder." Poland is currently focusing on a strategy to diminish salt inflows from mining.
Over a period of two weeks, authorities have recovered a total of 77 tons of deceased fish from the Gleiwitzer Canal and the Dzierzno Duze reservoir. The Ministry of Environment described this incident as a regional environmental disaster.
Summer 2022 Fish Die-off
As far back as summer 2022, there was a widespread fish die-off in the Oder. Experts in Germany and Poland speculated that the toxic impact of a golden alga bloom, namely Prymnesium parvum, was most likely responsible for the fish fatalities.
The Gleiwitzer Canal, which went into operation in 1939, is 41 kilometers long and connects the Upper Silesian metropolis of Gleiwitz (Gliwice) with the Oder. Last summer, numerous dead fish were also retrieved from there. Authorities ordered the addition of oxygen to the water.
The excessive use of harmful chemicals like hydrogen peroxide, while temporarily controlling golden alga blooms, contributes to environmental pollution. To achieve lasting change, Poland is working on reducing salt inflows from mining to decrease pollutants in the Oder and its tributaries.
