‘Businesses to blame’ for river plastic pollution
HUGE LEVELS OF ‘MICROPLASTICS’ MAKE WATERWAY MOST POLLUTED IN THE WORLD
INDUSTRIAL businesses could be to blame for the huge levels of ‘microplastics’ that make the River Tame the most plastic-polluted waterway in the world.
Researchers from the University of Manchester have revealed that they suspect a localised source – or sources – are behind the astronomical levels of plastic microbeads being found in the Tameside riverbed. Microbeads were routinely used in cosmetics and beauty products, such as exfoliating creams, but were banned from sale last June.
They form part of widespread plastic pollution in waterways and oceans condemned by environmental campaigners.
In the first tests by investigators, a section of the River Tame in Denton was found to have 517,000 plastic particles per square metre of sediment – double the previous record for any waterway or ocean in the world.
Professor Jamie Woodward and Dr James Rothwell, two of the academics from Manchester who led the research, briefed councillors in Tameside about the problem at an environmental scrutiny meeting.
Testing before and after major floods, such as the Boxing Day flooding of 2015, demonstrated that rivers were able to ‘clean themselves,’ Prof Woodward said.
But while the rest of the 40 sites tested saw a huge reduction in the amount of microplastics after flooding events, the amount in the River Tame had actually increased.
“This is the elephant in the room on the River Tame. Most of the sites show a significant reduction in microplastics,” Prof Woodward said.
“Apart from this one on the River Tame that actually increased and bucked the trend quite spectacularly.”
This led investigators to believe there was a ‘serious contamination problem’ locally.
“I think this is probably an industrial source to account for such high concentrations that have accumulated so quickly.
“And it might be multiple sources as well,” said Prof Woodward. Mark Turner, natural course GM team leader at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, told the meeting: “The Environment Agency doesn’t regulate around microplastics and plastic pollution.
“Plastics and microplastics isn’t on the agenda, so for them to regulate they would need more information in terms of what it is they are actually regulating, and what they’re trying to stop.
“That would require a change in law, as well as policies and practices.”