The Romanian sector of the Danube annually transports, on average, 48.5 tons of microplastic (MiPs) and 48 tons of macroplastic (MaPs), according to the results of a study by the MaiMultVerde Association, published on Wednesday.According to the document, the highest annual transport yields were for the Moldova Veche sampling station (south-west), respectively between 93 and 100 tons of plastic material annually, of which 46-51 tons/year micro, 47-49 tons/year macro. Also, in Gruia and Isaccea stations, the annual transport is approximately 3-4 times lower.Specialists say that macroplastic particles (with dimensions between 5 mm - 2.5 cm) grind over time under the influence of organic materials in the water and turn into microplastic.Cellulose fragments and fibers were discovered in the Isaccea station (in summer) and Moldova Veche, and polyurethane (PUR) was identified isolated in the Isaccea station, in the winter season. In addition, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) was observed in the plastic collected in Moldova Veche, in the autumn season.The study was carried out during five seasons, during the spring - winter of 2022 and the spring of 2023, in three sections, on the Romanian route of the Danube, monitored by the meteorological stations of the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA): Moldova Veche (km 23 after entering Romanian territory), Gruia (downstream of Portile de Fier II) and Isaccea (after the last tributary - the Prut river, before the Danube Delta).The MaiMultVerde Association, together with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, organized on Wednesday a press conference dedicated to the Congress of the Danube People - the 2nd edition, an event in which conclusions of meeting with the local authorities along the Danube, on the topic of waste management, were presented in order to reduce river pollution.
Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan stated during an interview on Wednesday, December 17, that there should be no statute of limitations in cases of serious corruption. The statement comes after a Recorder investigation, which showed that several heads of the major institutions in the Romanian justice system allegedly delayed trials for years until wrongdoings were […]
President Nicușor Dan has challenged, before the Constitutional Court (CCR), the constitutionality of the law that requires that at least 40% of the athletes who play on a team in official national competitions be Romanian. Dan noted that the law violates the principle of non-discrimination and the free movement of workers, enshrined both in the […]
Craiova International Airport will open its new passenger terminal on Thursday, December 18, completing a major infrastructure investment aimed at significantly expanding capacity and improving air connectivity in southwestern Romania. It is part of a broader expansion and modernization project financed through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (POIM) 2014–2020, with a total value exceeding EUR […]
Romania is set to be connected to the Western European energy network thanks to grid investments worth EUR 30 billion. The funds will be provided by the EU by 2035, and the project will link Romania to Hungary and Austria in a joint project. Romanian energy minister Bogdan Ivan signaled the signing of the new […]
Franck Bagouet has been appointed managing director of TotalEnergies Marketing Romania SA and managing director of Automotive Southeast Europe Hub TotalEnergies Marketing. He succeeds Didier Grimault, who has accepted a new position within the TotalEnergies company. “I am glad to join this dynamic affiliate and confident that, together with our talented team, we will reinforce […]
Databricks, the data analytics and artificial intelligence company co-founded by Romanian professors Ion Stoica and Matei Zaharia, announced on Tuesday, December 16, that it is raising USD 4 billion in funding at a valuation of USD 134 billion, according to CNBC. The new valuation represents a 34% increase compared to the August round, when Databricks […]
