2700 km for the plastic-free Danube-PA4 experts welcomes CleanDanube swimming professor in Budapest. (Main photo credit: Attila Püspöki)

For years now, there’s been more plastic particulates floating through the Danube
than fish larvae – and the number is growing day after day. The Danube, in turn, washes over 4 tons of plastic into the Black Sea – every single day. Yet the debate regarding microplastics and the dangers they pose to the environment are not new – though many people remain unaware of the problem. One man is striving to change all that: Andreas Fath. He is a professor of chemistry at Furtwangen University – and he is on a mission: He is wading into the lifeline of Europe to traverse the entire „swimmable“ stretch of
the river – a length of 2700 km. In the process, he will cross ten countries and encounter a wide variety of cultures.

The Hungarian experts of the EUSDR were also participating  with the community Danube rowing organized by the City and River Association (VALYO) and together with more than hundred  participants, welcomed Mr Fath as part of the CleanDanube project in Budapest on May 14 . The rowing started from the Roman coast and arrived at the Flooding Coast, where a mobile lab sampling and water quality workshop took place.

PA4 experts greeted Mr Fath  and handed to him several documents, leaflets, study results that the Water Quality Priority Area prepared in the past years in relation to plastic pollution and water quality prevention in the Danube Region.

We wish good luck with the rest of the professors journey and look forward for the results of the sampling in the overall section of the river that will be completed by the end of the year. Follow the project at: https://www.cleandanube.org/?lang=en