IMGW reports in a statement that during the two-month study, a clearly positive effect of the proposed solution was observed and no negative impact of the preparation on animal organisms was found. The use of this method on a large scale can significantly reduce the risk of further ecological disasters.
Research on golden algae
The phenomenon of fish kills in rivers and reservoirs has recently become a huge environmental and social problem. Research conducted by scientists and government organizations has shown that one of the main causes of this phenomenon is the Prymnesium parvum algae, known as the golden algae. The specific metabolism of this species, manifested by the production of prymnesin – a strong toxin, leads to fish kills in large blooms. In order to counteract this phenomenon, an interdisciplinary team of scientists and experts was established, which, in cooperation with PGW Wody, began work to solve the problem [the team consisted of: Krzysztof Gliński (President of the Management Board of Ecco-Logic), prof. dr hab. Robert Czerniawski (IMGW-PIB, University of Szczecin), prof. dr hab. inż. Małgorzata Kacprzak (Warsaw University of Technology), dr hab. inż. Bogdan Wziątek (University of Warmia and Mazury), dr Dariusz Włóka (GreenBack sp. z oo), dr Michał Łopata (University of Warmia and Mazury), dr hab. Łukasz Sługocki (University of Szczecin) dr Justyna Kobos (University of Gdańsk), laboratory technician Agata Glińska (Ecco Logic), dr inż. Urszula Dmitruk (IMGW- National Research Institute), mgr Weronika Głąb (IMGW- National Research Institute), dr inż. Agnieszka Jancewicz (IMGW- National Research Institute), engineer Michał Mierzejewski (IMGW- National Research Institute), Marianna Narkiewicz (IMGW- National Research Institute), dr Urszula Stawiecka (IMGW- National Research Institute), dr hab. Paweł Wilk, prof. IMGW (IMGW- National Research Institute), dr hab. Paulina Orlińska-Woźniak, prof. IMGW (IMGW-PIB)]. The first task was to conduct tests of the innovative SinStop preparation – a natural agent based on silicon compounds.
The experiment was carried out in two stages within the Sławęcice and Rudziniec locks on the Gliwice Canal. In the first stage, 12 technological variants were tested, on a semi-technical scale, along with repetitions and a control sample – in total, analyses were conducted on 22 research tanks with a volume of 1000 liters. In the second stage, the effectiveness of the selected variants was determined in operational conditions. For this purpose, two locks of the Gliwice Canal were flooded – in one the SinStop technology was used, the other was the so-called control sample. During the tests, the effectiveness of the preparation in combating the bloom of P. parvum cells, its effect on basic water quality parameters and the ability to initiate the development of zooplankton were assessed. In operational conditions, the effect of the method on the state of the fish population in the tested tanks was additionally checked.
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The use of the preparation reduced the number of dead fish by 93%
The conducted studies have clearly shown positive effects of using the SinStop method. The average number of dead fish in the control chamber during the experiment reached 68.8 per day. In the trials where the preparation was used, it was possible to reduce this value by as much as 93 percent. Moreover, among the fish placed in traps within the test sample, no deaths were observed. Live fish specimens were also caught from the tank, which did not show any negative symptoms – neither behavioral nor health. An extremely important observation during the experiment was the increase in the number of zooplankton ( Rotifera and Entomostraca ) and mollusc larvae ( Mollusca ) in the water to which the tested preparation was applied. These organisms are an indicator of water well-being, which in practice means that the developed method not only contributes to the direct reduction of the risk of blooms, but also leads to the initiation of self-repair processes (self-purification phenomena of the aquatic environment).
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Improving physical and chemical parameters of water
Both in semi-technical and operational conditions, a significant improvement in physical and chemical water parameters was observed, combined with a reduction in the number of golden algae. In operational conditions, after only 3 days of the process, a 92% reduction in the P. parvum population was achieved compared to the control sample. The observed effect of the preparation was not only a selective reduction of the population, but also ensured the limitation of its development, which is of great importance in the context of bloom prevention.
The final confirmation of the effectiveness of the method was the lack of toxins in the filtrate of water treated with the tested preparation. Analysis of the toxin content on the filters showed a clear increase in the content of the compounds determined in the control sample in relation to the test sample, in which only trace amounts were observed. As a result, this means that the tested method contributed to a decrease in the concentration of toxins in the environment of the test sample.
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The SinStop preparation limited the development of water blooms and P. parvum algae.
As the research results show, the use of the SinStop preparation directly limited the development of water blooms and P. parvum algae, thus protecting the fish population in the tested reservoir, but also initiated natural water self-purification processes. The tested method is a safe and effective way to combat fish kills and the overall phenomena known as water eutrophication. The lack of negative environmental effects combined with the high effectiveness of the method suggests that this is currently the only available technology that combines a number of the advantages described above and does not cause any identified negative effects.
