International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River ∙ ICPER

Prevention and protection against the entry of PCB and other pollutants from old paint coatings into the water bodies of the international Elbe river basin

The ICPER confirmed the document “Prevention and protection against the entry of PCB and other pollutants from old paint coatings into the water bodies of the international Elbe river basin” in October 2016.

The preparation of this document was motivated by the experience in connection with the surface refurbishment of the railway bridge in Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic), where the old paint coating containing PCB was blasted off. The analysis conducted so far has shown that this work resulted in significantly increased PCB levels in the Elbe and the non-flooded meadows in the surroundings of the railway bridge.

This document (see here) was sent to the responsible authorities in Germany and the Czech Republic as a preventive measure for potential future refurbishment measures of old coatings in and near water bodies.