* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    Safety concerns in Deep Ellum create apprehension as the entertainment district gains visitors – CBS News

    Safety Concerns Surge Amid Deep Ellum’s Booming Popularity and Growing Crowds

    Elisabeth Moss’ ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Emmy chances, by the numbers – Yahoo

    Elisabeth Moss’ ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Emmy chances, by the numbers – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Tech Champions with Leo Bletnitsky of Healthy Technology Solutions – Buzz Media Group

    Meet Tech Champion Leo Bletnitsky of Healthy Technology Solutions

    Crypto’s true revolution is about humanity, not technology – Cointelegraph

    Crypto’s Real Revolution: Transforming Humanity Beyond Technology

    $1 Billion Problem: New Technology Could Save Your Daily Cup of Coffee – SciTechDaily

    The $1 Billion Challenge: How New Technology Could Rescue Your Daily Cup of Coffee

    Canada’s construction industry gets serious about investing in technology as pressure mounts to do more with less – Yahoo Finance

    Canada’s Construction Industry Accelerates Tech Investments to Overcome Growing Challenges and Boost Efficiency

    Workforce Technology Eases Staffing Shortages in Rural Health Care – AJMC

    Workforce Technology Eases Staffing Shortages in Rural Health Care – AJMC

    Get the lead out: Putting new at-home lead testing technology to the test | Denver7 Investigates – Denver7

    Putting the Latest At-Home Lead Testing Technology to the Ultimate Test

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    Safety concerns in Deep Ellum create apprehension as the entertainment district gains visitors – CBS News

    Safety Concerns Surge Amid Deep Ellum’s Booming Popularity and Growing Crowds

    Elisabeth Moss’ ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Emmy chances, by the numbers – Yahoo

    Elisabeth Moss’ ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Emmy chances, by the numbers – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Tech Champions with Leo Bletnitsky of Healthy Technology Solutions – Buzz Media Group

    Meet Tech Champion Leo Bletnitsky of Healthy Technology Solutions

    Crypto’s true revolution is about humanity, not technology – Cointelegraph

    Crypto’s Real Revolution: Transforming Humanity Beyond Technology

    $1 Billion Problem: New Technology Could Save Your Daily Cup of Coffee – SciTechDaily

    The $1 Billion Challenge: How New Technology Could Rescue Your Daily Cup of Coffee

    Canada’s construction industry gets serious about investing in technology as pressure mounts to do more with less – Yahoo Finance

    Canada’s Construction Industry Accelerates Tech Investments to Overcome Growing Challenges and Boost Efficiency

    Workforce Technology Eases Staffing Shortages in Rural Health Care – AJMC

    Workforce Technology Eases Staffing Shortages in Rural Health Care – AJMC

    Get the lead out: Putting new at-home lead testing technology to the test | Denver7 Investigates – Denver7

    Putting the Latest At-Home Lead Testing Technology to the Ultimate Test

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

UK river pollution monitoring is 50 years out of date, say researchers

June 18, 2023
in Science
UK river pollution monitoring is 50 years out of date, say researchers
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Scum floating on the River Ribble near Clitheroe in Lancashire, UK

Scum floating on the Ribble river near Clitheroe in Lancashire, UK

Ashley Cooper/Alamy

The monitoring of UK rivers hasn’t been updated since the 1970s and gives just a snapshot of the state of water quality, hampering efforts to clean it up.

The UK’s four nations have similar methods when it comes to monitoring rivers. In England, for example, the Environment Agency (EA) collects water samples once a month to measure levels of pollutants such as phosphates and nitrates. These can lead to a reduction in oxygen in the water that suffocates aquatic animals and plants.

Save Britain's rivers

Out of the UK’s nearly 1500 rivers, samples are collected at more than 1000 fixed sites, usually in the middle of the week between 9am and 4pm, says Pete Lloyd, a former EA official. This doesn’t give an accurate picture and may “only reflect the condition of the river for a few minutes”, he says.

Most pollutants enter rivers after it has rained, either by running off farmland or when raw sewage is diverted away from sewer networks so they don’t overfill and back up into homes, says Lloyd. With the current sampling methods, which have been in place since the 1970s, it is a coincidence if the data collection happens after it has rained.

“I understand why we monitored rivers this way 50 years ago – we didn’t know what actually caused problems for rivers, so random sampling sounds like a good idea,” says Lloyd. “But now we know the problems, why aren’t we more targeted with our monitoring? The system is decades out of date.”

According to Penny Johnes at the University of Bristol, UK, this inadequate sampling means our knowledge of UK rivers has “absolutely colossal” uncertainties. In 2007, she looked at 39 years’ worth of daily data on the rivers’ total phosphorus concentrations, defined as a measure of the pollutant in all forms. High total phosphorus can lead to algal blooms, which can deplete water oxygen levels, block sunlight and release harmful toxins.

To mimic the EA’s sampling, Johnes analysed data collected from different rivers on the same date each month, comparing this with the original dataset. She found that only looking at water quality once a month misses important information about when phosphorus concentrations change. “The way in which we monitor rivers is highly variable in time and space,” says Johnes. “It’s not fit for purpose and hasn’t been for a long time.”

While Johnes looked at total phosphorus, the UK’s regulatory bodies don’t routinely monitor for this in rivers, despite the government wanting to cut its runoff from farms into water bodies by at least 40 per cent by 2038. The EA, for example, only monitors rivers for reactive phosphorus, a soluble form, which a spokesperson says is the type most readily taken up by plants and algae. But Johnes says non-dissolved phosphorus that runs off from farms makes up two-thirds of the pollutant in UK rivers.

The bodies also don’t regularly monitor rivers for some of the chemicals in consumer goods and pharmaceuticals, says Johnes. The EA spokesperson says it screens for more than 1600 chemicals, but Johnes says thousands of newly synthesised chemicals could still be running into rivers unmonitored.

Speaking on behalf of all of the UK’s regulatory bodies, the EA spokesperson says they are working with the pharmaceutical industry and research bodies to set up a working group that screens for pharmaceuticals in sewage discharge.

According to Johnes and Lloyd, the solution to the river-monitoring uncertainties is to introduce more-intensive water quality checks and to be more targeted with when samples are collected. “If you want to find out how agriculture is affecting a river, then you need to collect samples after rainfall,” says Lloyd. “If you want to find out how sewage is affecting a river, then you need to collect samples near a sewage overflow after rainfall,” he says.

Much of this could be done via electronic sensors that fit into riverbanks and automatically record pollutant levels, says Johnes. Some of these are already in place, but more are needed, with more rigorous analysis of their data, she says.

The recent uproar around sewage dumping in UK rivers, a problem that has probably been around for years before becoming a popular issue, is a good example of how inadequate water quality monitoring has let the public down, says Lloyd.

This changed when Peter Hammond, a former maths professor, lodged a freedom of information request that found untreated sewage had been dumped 240 times into the Windrush river in England over the past three years. He then sent dozens of similar requests to water firms around the country, revealing the scale of the problem. “Our monitoring system never picked it up,” says Lloyd. “If it had, maybe we could have done something about it by now.”

Topics:

Read More

Tags: pollutionriverscience
Previous Post

How you can help save Britain’s rivers by becoming a citizen scientist

Next Post

A star has been eating an orbiting planet for 85 years

When Technology Meets Ecology: Charting a Bold Path for Our Planet’s Future

June 21, 2025
‘Jaws’ at 50: Scientists Are Still Studying the Mysteries of Sharks – The New York Times

Jaws at 50: Exploring the Timeless Mysteries of Sharks

June 21, 2025
A Cracked Piece of Metal Self-Healed in Experiment That Stunned Scientists – ScienceAlert

Self-Healing Metal: The Revolutionary Experiment That Amazed Scientists

June 21, 2025
How leading Bollywood actresses are adopting one transformative lifestyle shift – Times of India

How Leading Bollywood Actresses Are Fearlessly Embracing a Bold New Lifestyle Transformation

June 21, 2025
Muskego mom breaks world record in planking – WISN

Muskego mom breaks world record in planking – WISN

June 21, 2025
Russian Minister Warns of Recession as Officials Spar on Economy – Bloomberg

Russian Minister Issues Recession Warning Amid Heated Economic Debate

June 21, 2025
Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

June 21, 2025
Breakfast key to meeting daily fiber needs amid American ‘health crisis’ – Fox News

How Breakfast Can Help You Crush Your Daily Fiber Goals During America’s Health Crisis

June 21, 2025
A Senator Who Was on a Hit List Fears the Fueling of Political Violence – The New York Times

Senator on Hit List Sounds Alarm Over Escalating Political Violence

June 21, 2025
Should You Buy Micron Technology Stock Before June 25? – The Motley Fool

Is Now the Perfect Moment to Invest in Micron Technology Before June 25?

June 21, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (696)
  • Economy (710)
  • Entertainment (21,611)
  • General (15,499)
  • Health (9,751)
  • Lifestyle (715)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (713)
  • Politics (717)
  • Science (15,930)
  • Sports (21,206)
  • Technology (15,695)
  • World (690)

Recent News

When Technology Meets Ecology: Charting a Bold Path for Our Planet’s Future

June 21, 2025
‘Jaws’ at 50: Scientists Are Still Studying the Mysteries of Sharks – The New York Times

Jaws at 50: Exploring the Timeless Mysteries of Sharks

June 21, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version