Poland engages in combat against the proliferation of harmful golden algae.
Following the uncovering of numerous deceased fish in the Oder's tributaries, Polish officials are attempting to curb the proliferation of harmful golden alga using chemicals. Lately, controlled amounts of hydrogen peroxide have been administered to a specific part of the Gleiwitzer Canal, which links to the Oder, as per the Ministry of Climate and Environment's announcement.
Preliminary findings indicate that the utilization of hydrogen peroxide disintegrated the golden alga cells and decreased the alga quantity by up to 99.9%.
However, the introduction of hydrogen peroxide is merely a contingency plan, according to Environment Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska. "Our objective, of course, is to minimize the pollutants entering the reservoir, the Gleiwitzer Canal, and the Oder." Poland is currently devising a strategy primarily focused on decreasing salt levels from mining activities.
Over the last two weeks, Polish authorities have extracted a combined total of 77 tons of deceased fish from the Gleiwitzer Canal and the Dzierzno Duze reservoir. The Ministry of Environment characterized this as a local ecological catastrophe. The summer of 2022 witnessed a massive fish die-off in the Oder. Experts from Germany and Poland concurred that the toxic impact of a golden alga bloom, specifically Prymnesium parvum, was most likely the culprit behind the fish fatalities.
The Gleiwitzer Canal, which was established in 1939 and measures 41 kilometers in length, links the Upper Silesian metropolis of Gleiwitz (Gliwice) with the Oder. Last summer, a massive amount of dead fish was also found here. The authorities implemented supplementing the water with oxygen.
The successful reduction in golden alga cells in the Gleiwitzer Canal using hydrogen peroxide is a significant achievement for Polish environmental efforts in managing the harmful alga bloom affecting the Oder's tributaries. Despite this progress, Poland remains committed to long-term strategies, such as reducing salt levels from mining activities, to protect the ecosystem of the Oder and its tributaries.
