No excessive concentration of toxins in tested dead fish

Tests on dead fish from the River Odra show no signs of increased levels of dangerous chemicals, the head of the state veterinary institute has told PAP.

About 100 tonnes of dead fish have been removed from Poland's second longest river since the issue first came to light in late July. The cause of the mass deaths is still being investigated.

On Monday, Krzysztof Niemczuk, the director of the National Veterinary Research Institute (PIWet-PIB) in the central town of Pulawy, told PAP that "during the examination of subsequent samples, the concentration levels of heavy metals, pesticides and other toxins was not exceeded."

"They can be found in the tested samples, but in safe concentrations, typical of the natural environment... which do not endanger consumers in any way and do not cause the death of fish," he added.

Niemczuk said that by Monday, PIWet-PIB had tested about 70 samples of dead fish from the Odra with the same number still to be tested.

He said the results of further tests would be released later.