In the past, various media outlets and members of the public have repeatedly speculated that shipping on the Danube causes significant faecal pollution of the river. In order to create a reliable basis for data and assessment, ICC Water & Health developed a special 3-stage investigation concept, which resulted in a highly acclaimed publication in the top journal Water Research (Steinbacher et al 2024).
The internationally applicable concept consists of the theoretical determination and comparison of various emission scenarios, a high-resolution field analysis of river water quality including genetic investigations of faecal microbiological inputs, and a comparative statistical analysis of the field data collected with the observed ship traffic. The key findings of the study on the sustainable preservation of water quality in the Danube, particularly in relation to Danube shipping, were discussed in depth with moderator Tarek Leitner and over 300 industry representatives.
Acknowledgements
The study was carried out in collaboration with the Water Management Department (Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government) and the Waterway Police. Funding was provided by the Province of Lower Austria and the GFF research project ‘Future Danube’ (LS19-016).