A sweeping new study of rivers in Yorkshire reveals the widespread presence of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals in British waterways, with potential impacts on ecosystems and public health.
Phoebe Weston reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Researchers from the University of York’s Ecomix project found over 4,000 different chemicals in the River Foss alone, including antibiotics, tire additives, and paracetamol (acetominophen).
- The study, spanning 10 rivers and 19 sites, linked many of the contaminants to farming, roads, sewage, and everyday household products like antihistamines and cosmetics.
- Scientists observed that these chemical mixtures disrupt aquatic life at multiple levels of the food chain and contribute to biodiversity loss, rivaling the damage caused by sewage pollution.
Key quote:
“Once these chemicals get into the environment it’s very hard to do anything about them.”
— Rob Collins, director of policy and science, the Rivers Trust
Why this matters:
Pesticides, antidepressants, dewormers, and UV filters enter rivers from farms, roads, and homes, creating complex chemical cocktails that regulators barely track. These pollutants can change fish behavior, reduce reproductive rates, and wipe out the tiny invertebrates that birds and fish rely on. Unlike a plastic bottle bobbing in the current, chemical pollution often leaves no visual trace. It is persistent, invisible, and hard to reverse. More than 350,000 chemicals are in use globally, with 2,000 more added each year. Without adequate monitoring and regulation, many of these slip past sewage plants and into public waterways. That has consequences not only for fish and birds, but potentially for human health.
Related: Few prosecutions for unsafe drinking water in England and Wales
