New breakthrough: Researchers measure faecal pollution in the Danube!

New breakthrough: Researchers measure faecal pollution in the Danube!

Scientists from the Karl-Landsteiner Privat University in Krems have developed a groundbreaking method to precisely analyze the faecal pollution in the Danube. This happened as part of an extensive investigation between March 2019 and March 2020, in which a 230 km long section from Wachau to Vienna was examined. The aim was to clarify whether ships lead wastewater into the river, which has been repeatedly discussed in the media since 2019. According to meinzirk.at show that no information on improper faecal disposal by ships was found. The innovative method that combines predictive models and statistical data now enables the water quality to be better monitored and could be used internationally.

an important step for shipping

Shipping, however, faces another challenge: reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A comprehensive study by the German Maritime Center (DMZ) shows that the maritime industry urgently needs alternatives to fossil fuels. According to dMz-maritim.de , comprehensive measures are planned by 2050 to reduce emissions to zero. The study analyzes the current ship fleet in Germany, which includes around 10,000 ships and examines both established and innovative fuel alternatives such as hydrogen, methanol and ammonia. These alternatives must be developed and integrated into the existing infrastructure in order to make shipping more environmentally friendly in the long term.

In order to make a sustainable transition, clear recommendations for action are necessary that were developed in the study. These include both technical adjustments to the ships and regulatory framework. It is emphasized that an environmentally conscious change in shipping is hardly possible without suitable measures to introduce regenerative fuels. The results illustrate how important it is to invest in a significant structural change in order to make shipping future -proof and environmentally friendly.