Fecal Pollution River Danube

• Projektnummer: WA2-A-226/050-2019
• Project Management: Alexander Kirschner, Karl Landsteiner University for Health Sciences / Department of Water Quality and Health
• Project partner(s): Medical University of Vienna / Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Vienna University of Technology
• Project duration: 30 months from 29 March 2019

Background
Survey of the faecal pollution situation for the Lower Austrian Danube:
In recent months, various media and the public have repeatedly voiced the suspicion that Danube navigation would lead to considerable faecal pollution of the Danube. However, there are currently no current and reliable data series on faecal pollution over a representative period of time. The study concept is based on the spatio-temporally highly resolved analysis of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) for the Lower Austrian section of the Danube as well as a first estimation of the FIB emission potential for Danube navigation with a comparison to municipal input sources. In addition, a basic chemical-physical characterisation of the water quality and a genetic analysis to determine the origin of faecal inputs at selected sites will be carried out. Along the Lower Austrian Danube, 11 selected transects (cross-sections) are characterised over the course of the year and close-meshed time series are collected at neuralgic Danube sites by means of automatic sampling. In order to support an estimation of the pollution potential of Danube ships, the ship sewage is also analysed microbiologically and chemically. All common ship types and effluents will be considered. The study is being carried out in close cooperation between the Water Division of the Province of Lower Austria and the Karl Landsteiner Private University for Health Sciences, Department of Water Quality and Health, with the support of ICC Water & Health as a partner.