Laboratory exams following a mass die-off of fish within the Oder River detected excessive ranges of salinity however no mercury poisoning its waters, Poland's setting minister mentioned on Saturday because the thriller continued as to what killed tonnes of fish in Central Europe.
Anna Moskwa, the minister of local weather and setting, mentioned analyses of river samples taken in each Poland and Germany revealed elevated salt ranges.
Complete toxicology research are nonetheless underway in Poland, she mentioned.
She mentioned Poland's state veterinary authority examined seven species of the useless fish and dominated out mercury as the reason for the die-off however was nonetheless ready for outcomes of different substances.
She mentioned check outcomes from Germany had additionally not proven a excessive presence of mercury.
The Oder River runs from Czechia to the border between Poland and Germany earlier than flowing into the Baltic Sea.
Some German media had urged that the river had been poisoned with mercury.
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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki mentioned on Friday that "big quantities of chemical waste" had been most likely dumped deliberately into his nation's second-longest river, inflicting environmental harm so extreme it might take years for the waterway to recuperate.
On Saturday, Morawiecki vowed to do all the pieces doable to restrict the environmental devastation.
Poland's inside minister mentioned a reward of 1 million zlotys ($309,000) can be paid to anybody who helps monitor down these liable for polluting the river.
Authorities within the north-eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania warned individuals to not fish or use water from the Szczecin lagoon, because the river's contaminated water was anticipated to achieve the estuary space on Saturday night.
"The extent of the fish die-off is surprising.
"This can be a blow to the Oder as a waterway of nice ecological worth, from which it is going to presumably not recuperate for a very long time," mentioned Alex Vogel, the setting minister for Germany's Brandenburg state, alongside which the river runs.
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The pinnacle of Polish waters, Poland's nationwide water administration authority, mentioned on Thursday that round 10 tonnes of useless fish had been faraway from the river.
Tons of of volunteers had been working to assist accumulate useless fish alongside the German aspect.
German laboratories mentioned they detected "atypical" ranges of "salts" that may very well be linked to the die-off however would not absolutely clarify them on their very own.
Morawiecki acknowledged that some Polish officers had been "sluggish" in reacting after big numbers of useless fish had been seen floating and washing ashore, and mentioned two of them had been dismissed.
"For me, nonetheless, an important factor is to take care of this ecological catastrophe as quickly as doable, as a result of nature is our frequent heritage," Morawiecki mentioned.
His feedback had been echoed by Schwedt Mayor Annekathrin Hoppe, whose German city is positioned subsequent to the Decrease Oder Valley Nationwide Park.
She known as the contamination of the river "an environmental disaster of unprecedented scale" for the area.