As the leader of a consortium consisting of Gdynia Maritime University, the Polish Naval Academy, and the company Mewo S.A., the University has this week signed three contracts with the Maritime Office in Gdynia for the “Identification and potential neutralisation of hazardous materials lying on the seabed of the Baltic Sea in selected locations”. The work will focus on an area of 925 km2 of the Baltic Sea.
he project is being carried out as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Component B3.2.1 – “Investments in the neutralisation of threats and the restoration of large-scale degraded areas and the Baltic Sea.”
At the bottom of the Baltic Sea
The consortium will perform measurements and research concerning the identification and potential neutralisation of dangerous materials laying at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in the locations Rynna Słupska and Głębia Gdańska and the wreck of the ship Franken.The contract will last until the end of 2025.
The signature of the Consortium
Signing the contract on behalf of the Consortium was HM The Rector of Gdynia Maritime University, Professor Adam Weintrit, and the University’s Bursar, Eugeniusz Paweł Orzeszek. Also taking part in the signing was HM The Rector-Commander of the Polish Maritime Academy, Rear Admiral Professor Tomasz Szubrycht, and the President of the Management Board of Mewo S.A., Paweł Gajewski. From the Maritime Authority in Gdynia, the contract was signed by Director Anna Stelmaszyk-Świerczyńska and Chief Accountant Katarzyna Brzózka.
Toxins disappear
It is noteworthy that Toxins disappear very slowly from the marine environment, if at all. The absence of oxygen in the deep cause the sediments to serve as a depository long after the emissions have ended.
Water exchange in the Baltic Sea
For example it can take hundreds of years for dioxin to be halved on the seabed, while the same amount of dioxin in the atmosphere breaks down in a few days.
The half-life of the organic substances is determined by its properties and the environment that it is found in. Since water exchange in the Baltic Sea is slow and water temperatures are low, concentrations of toxics in the Baltic Sea are higher than in other seas.
