Slovak and Austrian Experts to Focus on Plastic Waste in Danube River

Bratislava, November 1 (TASR) – A project called PlasticFreeDanube is due to be launched by Slovak and Austrian experts in order to acquire information on the contamination of the Black Sea with plastic from the Danube River, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) communications department chief Stanislav Scepan told TASR on Wednesday.

Data will be collected by observing the stretch of the Danube River between Vienna and the Gabcikovo (Trnava region) Hydroelectric Power Plant.

“The Danube River as the main tributary has direct effects on the Black Sea. Earlier studies have revealed that the annual flow of plastic into the Black Sea from the Danube River stands at 530-1,550 tonnes,” said Scepan, adding that SAV’s specialists in identifying plastic will be involved in the project, which is due to last until 2020.

The project should include the drawing up of an action plan for combating the contamination of Danube River by plastic waste and should also contribute towards boosting public awareness of the problem.