Ministry of Environmental Protection: After the Sinking of the Barge, No Changes in the Physical and Chemical Properties of the Water

The first analyses of the samples of the water from the Danube River, which were carried out following the accident that had occurred due to the sinking of the “Lola – 5” barge, which had been transporting nitrogen fertilizer, have shown that there are no changes in the organoleptic properties of the water in the river (the color, the smell and visible waste matters), that is, that the parameters are within the I and II classes of the quality of surface waters, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced on its website.

The Environmental Protection Agency carried out the extraordinary sampling of the water from the Danube River in the Novi Sad profile at 7.30am, 10.30am, 1.30pm and 4.20pm on January 5, 2024.

The results of the first analyses have shown that the values of the overall physical and chemical parameters, such as the pH value, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, the percentage of the oxygen saturation of the water, ammonium nitrate, nitrates, nitrites, orthophosphates, the total phosphorus, and the chemical consumption of the oxygen, are all within the proscribed boundaries.

The samples have been sent to the laboratory of the Department for the Control of the Quality of Water and Sediments in Novi Sad, in order to continue with detailed analyses regarding the total organic carbon, the total nitrogen and the organic nitrogen, the results of which are expected soon, it is added.

Let us remind that the loaded “Lola – 5” barge, towed by the German ship Antonia, sank at 12.40am near Backa Palanka. The navigation accident occurred when the ship collided with a column of the “25. maj” bridge, which connects the border crossings Backa Palanka-Ilok in the territory of the navigable waterway of the Danube in the Republic of Croatia.

Ministarstvo zaštite životne sredine Republike Srbije

Tehnološko metalurški fakultet Beograd

Ministry of Environmental Protection

Department for the Control of the Quality of Water and Sediments in Novi Sad

Backa Palanka Ilok bridge

25 maj bridge

Lola 5 barge

Antonia ship

sunken barge

nitrogen fertilizer

analysis of samples of Danube river water