On Sunday, thousands of people will gather in London for a rally to raise awareness about the importance of clean water in their lives. A study by the University of York found that a rural waterway in the Peak District National Park, Tideswell Brook, had the second highest levels of active pharmaceutical pollution in the UK. The brook is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, recognised for its importance to the ecosystem and its key species. Concentrations of drugs such as antidepressants and antibiotics found in the water were at levels of concern for both human and ecological health.
Jo Broughton, a cold water swimmer, has refrained from swimming in Tideswell Brook since August due to the study’s findings. “Going in the water is exposing me to antibiotics, antidepressants and other medication I haven’t opted to take,” she said. Activist groups, such as Tideswell and District Environment Group, held open meetings for locals to express their concern about pharmaceutical pollution levels in the area.
The study, conducted by Professor Alistair Boxall and the Rivers Trust, assessed 54 sampling locations in England’s 10 national parks in the winter and summer of 2022. Thirty-one active pharmaceutical ingredients were detected in Tideswell Brook, and higher concentrations of pollutants were found in areas recognised for ecological conservation. Potential causes were an ageing population, which results in higher medication consumption, a lack of sewage treatment infrastructure to remove pharmaceuticals and frequent use of sewage overflows by water companies.
The Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water and the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have said they are working on ways to manage chemicals in the environment. Steve Reed, the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, has announced special measures to address the issue of water pollution by placing water companies under regulation that will strengthen their oversight. This will include new powers to enforce penalties against polluting water firms and criminal charges against those who repeatedly break the law
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