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300 kilograms of imidazole entered the Rhine from the chemical company BASF. The substance is considered dangerous for water. Authorities are now investigating the cause.
For a still unknown cause, around 300 kilograms of the substance imidazole have flowed into the Rhine since Friday. As the chemical company BASF announced in Ludwigshafen on Saturday, there was an increase in imidazole concentrations in the effluent from BASF’s sewage treatment plant.
A company spokesperson said experts were available to determine the exact cause of the issue. The plant for the production of the raw material in the manufacture of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products had been closed as a precaution, informed the responsible authorities.
Imidazole is classified in water hazard class 2, which means that it is clearly hazardous for water. Due to the amount filtered and the dilution in the Rhine, a risk to aquatic organisms cannot be assumed, he said.
