In the search for the causes of the mass deaths of fish in the Oder, the Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory found excessive levels of pesticides. The Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment announced today that samples collected at the Frankfurt (Oder) measuring point found high concentrations of a pesticide containing the active ingredient 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.
APA/AFP/Marcin Bielecki
However, it can be assumed that the detected dose was not immediately fatal to the fish. The active ingredient is used, for example, to fight weeds. The “Tagesspiegel” (Saturday edition) reported on the increase in pesticide load.
Multiple causes of environmental disaster
It can be assumed that the environmental disaster had several causes, the ministry said. However, excessive concentration of the pesticide over several days certainly had an impact on animals, plants and microorganisms. It is possible that the pesticide was present in even higher concentrations in the upper reaches of the Oder and was already heavily diluted at the Frankfurt (Oder) measuring point.
The mass death of fish on the Oder River border became known from the German side on August 9. A ship captain in Brandenburg spotted dead animals. The German authorities recently accused Poland of having informed too late. Helpers on the German and Polish sides have recovered tons of dead fish from the Oder in recent days. According to the Federal Ministry of the Environment, hundreds of different substances in fish are being investigated to investigate the causes.