Pesticides, antibiotics, animal medicines: the chemical cocktail seeping into our rivers | Rivers

PIVERS carries more than just water through the landscape in Britain. A hidden cocktail of chemicals leaks from agricultural lands, passes without discovery through wastewater treatment, and drains from roads to the country’s rivers. These chemicals usually flow through the ecosystems that are not silently reported as they go, but now, UK scientists build a map of what lies – and the damage they may cause.

Central in the center of Britain, a river known to chemical makeup scientists better than any other river. Foss make its way through North Yorkshire Forests, and the lands suitable for cultivation and small sharks, before they go to a city YorkPassing roads and parking lots, gardens replacing agricultural lands. Along a length of 20 miles (32 km), the chemical life of the modern life accumulates.

“The river is the river that we understand more than others,” says Professor Alexeer Boxal of York University, who was leading the research through Yorkshire’s rivers. It leads Ecomix Research The project, which studies 10 rivers throughout the region, and developing ways to examine these chemicals with a depth greater than ever. “This is the chemical pulse of the Yorkshire water,” he says, and the results of the water are likely to be repeated all over the country. “People are surprised. They usually think about plastic materials and wastewater. People do not contact the chemicals we use and the environment.”

Bokal says the story that these rivers tell is worrying. Among the thousands of chemicals discovered, the added tires were 6pd-quinone, which were linked with Collective salmon dies In the United States. In urban sites all over Sheffield, Leeds Wakefield was found in about three quarters of samples. Fungal pesticides and herbal pesticides were among the most discovered chemicals.

on 500 pesticides – Which includes pesticides, fungicides and herbal pesticides – are approved for use in Europe, and 600 green for veterinary use on livestock and pets. Research has shown that the levels of antihistamines in the water rise when the hay fever is bad – one of the many pharmaceutical This ends in the rivers after being wiped under the toilet.

Foss monitoring at Stillington Mill began, in the rear park of a former teacher. It is one of the volunteers who made this research possible – either by taking samples or allowing monitoring on their lands.

This stain is about 10 miles from the source of the hole. Wheat fields and rape of oil seeds again to water from the other side of the river. Three thousand chemicals have been discovered here (40 % of it is likely to occur normally). In targeted analysis, scientists have identified 40 chemicals including livestock medications, pharmaceutical preparations, UV filters, fungi and herbal pesticides.

In total, they were looking for 52 chemicals (except for minerals) and found 44 across the three samples sites on the hole. Choose a focus on these chemicals because they are known for the toxicity and potential damage to water organisms.

By the time you reach the center of York City – about 10 miles away – 1,000 additional chemicals have been added to the river, including household chemicals such as antibiotics and cosmetics where the river is transmitted from agricultural areas to villages and towns. On the outskirts of York in New Arwik, Boxall documented the second highest level of paracetamol in the measuring water ever in Europe, after the sewage system failed. It was 1000 times the normal level.

In the laboratory

In the boxall’s laboratory, a group of creatures that he calls “small monsters” that live in fish tanks – a small Minajry including duck mussels, swine mussels, spear snails, doll worms, and spoon collected in ponds around the campus. These are the species that are usually found in UK rivers. Twelve cultures of blue bacteria-green blue algae-are heated around, each of which is a little different from green. “Algae is the base of the nutritional chain.” Here, invertebrates and algae are exposed to various chemicals and scientists monitor the effects.

This is the other focus of Ecomix research: Work to understand the effects of chemicals on the British river environment. One in 10 types of fresh water and wetlands in England are threatened with extinction. Boxall believes chemical pollution It can be bad for the ecosystems of the river The wastewater, which makes the titles regularly.

Researchers have found that chemical pollution makes “Great” contribution For the retreat of fish and other aquacultures, the organizers often lack.

more than 350,000 chemicals It is recorded for production and use, with the addition of about 2000 new every year. They may have a set of unknown negative effects on the environment of rivers – changing the behavior of living organisms and physiology. It has been shown that chemicals have a varied effect on fish, including breeding, social reactions and nutrition behavior. Studies indicate that ibuprofen can affect FishDiclofenac affects anti -inflammatory Fish liver, Antidepressants have been linked to a set of Behavioral changes. Salmon exposed to anti -anxiety It has been proven that the drug bears more risks, and some fleas treatments such as imidacloprid Past to the invertebrates Like Mayflies and Dragonflies.

“I actually got a position as some chemicals hit the base of the food network, while others hit the invertebrates, and you will get other chemicals that strike fish,” says Boukal.

ECCOCEX is the most comprehensive chemical modeling by the Environment Agency, which mainly focuses on “seizure samples”, or monthly monitoring at best. Boxall’s study viewed 19 sites across 10 rivers over a year of continuous monitoring, during which 20,000 samples were collected.

“The Environment Agency does not have the resources necessary to deal with this issue well enough,” said Rob Collins of River Trust, who has not participated in the research. This added The control of these chemicals in the source was essential: “It is a social challenge that is to address this problem – we are all involved. We also need a much stronger government organization with more dangerous chemicals.

“Once these chemicals enter the environment, it is very difficult to do anything about them. For example, PFAS – known as “Chemicals Forever” – It can continue in the environment for more than 1000 years. “

Citizen scholars

Richard Hunt was one of the ten citizens who made this research possible. Hunt, who took a weekly sample in the center of York, said. He had among the sites with the highest level of chemicals – as expected in an urban area. UV filters, fire inhibitors, appearances, cocaine and cocaine were among the things around them in the water. “I was stunned by the number of chemicals,” says Hunt. “If people are directed to how to help them, they do it.”

Boxal says that the Holy Grace for Chemical Pollution Treatment is a continuous monitoring system, progressing in actual time. Biotus updates would alert the authorities to possible pollution issues so that they can respond faster, although the environmental agency staff were He said to ignore Low -influential pollution events because the body does not have the resources needed for investigation.

“The chemicals are important to society,” says Boukal. “We benefit from it, but we need to reduce environmental harm.”

Hunt notes that the wealth of his city came from two rifles – Aws and his throat, The Foss. Understanding the chemicals through which it flows and employ what we can do to clean is the ADEBT payment of ADEBT. “York will not be healthy and successful if not for rivers. We need more respect for them.”

Find more Covering the era of extinction hereHe followed the correspondence of biological diversity Vepi Weston and Patrick Greenfield In the Guardian app for more nature coverage