Chemist swims over 1000 kilometers across the Elbe for water protection

The chemist Andreas Fath wants to swim more than 1000 kilometers across the Elbe to raise awareness for water protection. The professor from Furtwangen University in the Black Forest began his sporting environmental campaign by jumping into the upper reaches of the Elbe.

Within 25 days, he wants to swim across the river from Smirice in the Czech Giant Mountains to Cuxhaven. On his 1083-kilometre journey, he will also pass through cities such as Dresden, Magdeburg and Hamburg and regularly take water samples together with his team.

The 59-year-old scientist's aim is to draw public attention to water protection. He told the Czech news agency CTK at the start that he had one sporting and several scientific goals: "I want to swim as far as the North Sea and check the water quality of the Elbe for microplastics and other trace elements. We are also offering an accompanying educational program with workshops, seminars and other activities."

"Swimming professor"

Fath's "Pure Elbe" project also aims to highlight the problem of man-made barriers that hinder fish and other creatures in their natural movement through the water.

Fath teaches at Furtwangen University in Schwenningen and is known internationally as the "swimming professor". The chemist has already swum across the Rhine, the Tennessee River and the entire Danube to draw attention to the pollution of water bodies by microplastics.