Pollution that comes about from treated and untreated sewage is the greatest threat to river biodiversity, according to new research from the University of Oxford.
The research, which was published on World Rivers Day, investigated the effects of three different pollution sources – treated sewage, discharge, agriculture, and urban runoff.
It comes in the wake of news that out of approximately 40 rivers with with protected habitats in England, none of them are in overall good health.
“Our study highlights the disproportionate impact that sewage discharge has on river quality, presenting an urgent need for a comprehensive action plan targeting the sewage discharge problem. Improvements to waste water plants should be implemented along with more regulations,” said the study’s lead author Dr Dania Albini.
“These efforts are crucial in safeguarding the integrity and safety of our rivers – fundamental elements of both ecosystems and human wellbeing”.
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Dr Michelle Jackson another of the study’s authors, added: “There is ongoing debate about the cause of the poor ecological state of many rivers in the UK because it is difficult to disentangle different pollution sources. Here, we show that even treated sewage appears to have a stronger influence on river communities than pollution from the surrounding land.”
“This important information should be used to prioritise the management and conservation of our rivers moving forward.”
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper River Action UK’s James Wallace said: “This important research demonstrates yet again the damage from unregulated water companies and agriculture.”
“In addition to the catastrophic impact on wildlife from nutrient pollution, the public should be aware that sewage systems do not remove dangerous bacteria such as E.coli and intestinal anterococci from treated sewage”.
