Blue whales pose a formidable challenge in the waters surrounding Hamburg.
The Eichbaumsee in Hamburg, once a popular summer destination, is consistently closed for bathing due to recurrent blooms of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), posing health risks to swimmers. These algae thrive in lakes when conditions such as high nutrient levels, warm temperatures, and stagnant water are present.
**Efforts to Address the Issue Long-Term**
Authorities have been taking several measures to combat the problem. Regular checks are conducted to detect algal blooms and assess water safety. Efforts have been made to control the sources of nutrient pollution, though this is challenging due to ongoing runoff and sometimes incomplete separation of stormwater from sewage systems. Local campaigns highlight the risks of blue-green algae and the need to avoid swimming during high-risk periods.
Investments in wastewater treatment and improvement of stormwater management are ongoing, but these projects are complex and slow to yield results. The city of Hamburg has invested nearly two million euros to control the blue-green algae in the Eichbaumsee. Measures taken to control the algae include the installation of a forced circulation system, the introduction of pikes, the use of aluminum sulfate, new aeration systems, and the use of phosphate-binding agents.
Despite these efforts, the Eichbaumsee continues to experience persistent closures for bathing, reflecting the difficulty of fully controlling blue-green algae outbreaks in an urban lake environment.
**Unrelated Incident**
In a separate incident, Lydia S., who was recently sent to the forensic clinic in Hamburg-Ochsenzoll after an attack at the Hamburg main station in May, was released from the Lower Saxony clinic Geestland just one day before the attack. The attack resulted in 15 injuries, four of them critical. The judge believes that Lydia S.'s illness, paranoid schizophrenia, may have caused the attack, but an expert opinion is pending.
**Other Local News**
In other news, a collision between a shunting locomotive of the Hamburg Port Railway and a truck resulted in approximately 17,000 liters of soybean oil spilling in Wilhelmsburg. No injuries were reported, but the environmental impact is currently being assessed.
In a positive note, the graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts will be presenting their final projects with the theme "Don't stop me now". The final projects will be exhibited at various locations, including the Academy of Fine Arts and the Filmhaus in Finkenau.
Lastly, it was announced that the number of "top-up" recipients in Hamburg has increased for the first time since 2016. Around 26,000 employed individuals also receive unemployment benefits.
[1] Source: Environmental Authority in Hamburg
- To mitigate the persistent issue of blue-green algae in the Eichbaumsee, authorities have implemented various strategies such as water tests, nutrient pollution control, and the installation of innovative systems like forced circulation and aeration, with investments reaching nearly two million euros.
- Meanwhile, the interconnection between science and health-and-wellness becomes evident as climate change and environmental-science play a crucial role in understanding the causes of the recurring blue-green algae blooms in urban lakes like the Eichbaumsee.
