The Danube River, flowing from Vienna’s elegant architecture to Budapest’s historic baths and the Black Sea, boasts a rich history as a trade and cultural route since Roman times. Yet, it carries 50 particles/m³ near Budapest and 630 particles/kg in sediments, with polyethylene fibers from urban runoff and floods, contaminating fish and mussels [1][2].

 

Citations

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81724-4

[2] https://bbj.hu/economy/environment/recycling/microplastic-particles-in-danube-at-record-high-levels/​

Photo of Budapest, Hungary by crystal on Unsplash