Description
The project aims to investigate the types, origins, and impacts of plastic waste polluting the lower basin of the Danube River, reaching the Black Sea. This cross-border investigation seeks to uncover the sources of plastic pollution, its pathways through the river, and its effects on wildlife and human health. By combining scientific research and investigative journalism, the project will expose the hidden lifecycle of plastic waste, tracing it from its entry into the Danube to its accumulation in aquatic organisms and ultimately in the human food chain. The investigation addresses several key public interest issues: environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, contamination of the food supply, and weaknesses in environmental governance. Although the EU has adopted a series of environmental policies to combat plastic waste, real-world implementation varies. The Danube is a transnational river, and gaps in national policy, enforcement, and corporate accountability have allowed pollution to persist and intensify, with serious long-term implications for communities, ecosystems, and public health.
“This grant gives us the opportunity to combine scientific evidence with investigative journalism to tell a powerful story about one of Europe’s most pressing environmental challenges. By tracing the origins of plastic pollution in the Lower Danube, we hope to provide both clarity and urgency to the debate, and to amplify the voices of communities directly affected by this growing crisis.” — Milen Atanasov
Project Team
Media outlet
Bulgarian National Television
Sofia, Bulgaria
https://bnt.bg/
Milen Atanasov
World news executive editor
Bulgaria
Research organisation
The Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen
Shumen, Bulgaria
https://www.shu.bg/en/english/
Tsveteslava Ignatova-Ivanova
Prof. Dr., dean of the Faculty of Natural Science
Bulgaria
