PlasticFreeDanube Project at the SAS Polymer Institute
31. 10. 2017 | 2345 visits
The river Danube connects ten European countries. The environment and water pollution are problematic areas, which should be the centre of interest of the population living in its catchment area. The Danube, as the main tributary, directly affects the Black Sea. From previous studies, experts have calculated that the annual growth of plastics that flow to the Black Sea to be between 530 and 1550 tonnes.
The Interreg V-A cooperation program between the Slovak Republic and Austria- INTERREG V-A SK-AT / 2017 / TP / 01 is an opportunity to engage in solving the problem of plastic waste in and along the Danube.
The initiative came from the Austrian side two years ago when visiting researchers at the BOKU University in Vienna were looking for plastic identification specialists and found them at the SAS Polymer Institute, the Department of Composite Materials, led by Ing. Mária Omastová, DrSc.
On Monday, October 23, 2017, a kick-off meeting was held at the premises of the Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences - Department of Water - Atmosphere and the Environment (BOKU) - a project called "Plastic Macro Waste in and along the Danube", which received the acronym PlasticFreeDanube. The aim of the project is to establish a database of science-based information as well as a methodological approach to plastic waste in and along the river in terms of input sites, quantities, transport patterns and environmental hazards. The area of interest of this project includes the Danube and its riparian areas from the metropolitan areas of Vienna and Bratislava to the Gabčíkovo hydro power plant.
The project is divided into seven units or working sections.
Project goals
• Provide methodology, data and a manual for assessing and monitoring plastic pollution in fluvial systems
• Establishment of an action plan for the management of plastic waste and implementation of pilot measures against plastic pollution of the Danube
• Raising awareness of the general public and stakeholders about the pollution of the river by plastic waste
The PlasticFreeDanube Bilateral Project is being implemented by five partners from Austria and Slovakia as well as seventeen strategic partners.
Silvia Podhradská, Mária Omastová
The Interreg V-A cooperation program between the Slovak Republic and Austria- INTERREG V-A SK-AT / 2017 / TP / 01 is an opportunity to engage in solving the problem of plastic waste in and along the Danube.
The initiative came from the Austrian side two years ago when visiting researchers at the BOKU University in Vienna were looking for plastic identification specialists and found them at the SAS Polymer Institute, the Department of Composite Materials, led by Ing. Mária Omastová, DrSc.
On Monday, October 23, 2017, a kick-off meeting was held at the premises of the Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences - Department of Water - Atmosphere and the Environment (BOKU) - a project called "Plastic Macro Waste in and along the Danube", which received the acronym PlasticFreeDanube. The aim of the project is to establish a database of science-based information as well as a methodological approach to plastic waste in and along the river in terms of input sites, quantities, transport patterns and environmental hazards. The area of interest of this project includes the Danube and its riparian areas from the metropolitan areas of Vienna and Bratislava to the Gabčíkovo hydro power plant.
The project is divided into seven units or working sections.
Project goals
• Provide methodology, data and a manual for assessing and monitoring plastic pollution in fluvial systems
• Establishment of an action plan for the management of plastic waste and implementation of pilot measures against plastic pollution of the Danube
• Raising awareness of the general public and stakeholders about the pollution of the river by plastic waste
The PlasticFreeDanube Bilateral Project is being implemented by five partners from Austria and Slovakia as well as seventeen strategic partners.
Silvia Podhradská, Mária Omastová