Unknown Oil-Based Substance Pollutes Rhine River, Disrupting Ports

Authorities are investigating the source of a milky, mineral-oil-containing liquid that has contaminated a stretch of the Rhine and led to shipping restrictions.

• A milky liquid containing mineral oil has been detected in the Rhine River, prompting environmental concerns and emergency responses in Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz.
• The contamination has impacted several inland ports, including Wiesbaden-Schierstein, Rüdesheim, and Mainz, where oil barriers have been deployed to limit its spread.
• Authorities have not yet determined the source of the substance, though it is believed to have entered the river near Worms and is now moving downstream.
• Initial tests by the Mainz fire department indicated no immediate danger to public health, but the environmental impact remains under investigation.
• Shipping activities in affected ports have been temporarily halted as cleanup efforts and investigations continue, with samples of the substance undergoing further analysis.

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Stern Stern Die Rheinpfalz