Yorkshire Coast charity concerned over harmful chemical found in seals
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue is calling for tighter regulations
A Yorkshire Coast charity says it is very concerning that a banned and harmful chemical has been found in some seals.
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue is calling for tighter regulations to tackle pollution in rivers, seas, lakes and groundwater sites.
Dan Jarvis is from there and said: "We're aware that pollution, especially in its chemical form, can get into the food chain and it can cause increased ability of disease to affect wildlife, all the way up to seals through the food web. So any efforts that are going on to try to mitigate these problems is definitely a good thing.
"We've been getting samples tested from seals to see how much they're contaminated with a chemical known as PCBs or Polychlorinated Biphenyls. These are old chemicals that were used back before the 80s but were banned due to their toxicity but are still very much out in the environment today.
"It's shown that these seals, it was only a small number, but three of the seven samples that were tested had levels that were above the higher threshold for toxicity. This was very, very concerning to us and of course that's just one chemical. There are many others out there that can affect many other animals in different ways.
"We completely agree with the call for tighter regulation of industrial and commerce that discharge chemicals out into the enviroment as a waste product. For us, it's basically a no-brainer. It needs to be done and it's a great way forward.
"The UK should be one of the countries leading the way in this sort of thing and hopefully if we can get to a point where there's tighter restriction, regulation and legislation even over what can and can't be discharged and having safer ways of disposing of those chemicals, it can hopefully lead the way for other countries to follow suit as well."
Tackling chemical pollution
A coalition of nature groups including Wildlife and Countryside Link, the National Trust, the Rivers Trust and The Wildlife Trusts are launching a new campaign today (Wednesday 24th May) aimed at tackling chemical pollution in rivers, lakes, groundwater sites and the sea.
The launch is alongside new research that has been published showing 81 percent of places tested by the Environment Agency for chemicals contained one or more toxic chemical combinations that are known to damage wildlife.
The East of England and Yorkshire and Humberside had a smaller proportion of sites where these chemical cocktails were identified, but one or more of these toxic mixtures was still found in almost 1 in 6 (58 percent and 59 percent respectively) of river, lake and groundwater sites tested for chemicals and they had up 96 and 78 chemicals respectively identified in individual rivers.
The research, which looked at the prevalence of 5 chemical cocktails known to have toxic impacts for wildlife, also highlights the lack of official monitoring for known harmful chemical cocktails, as well as the lack of a regulatory framework to address these mixtures.
The chemical cocktails found across the 1,619 sites contained six different chemicals in five different hazardous mixtures. These included four toxic forever chemicals PFOS, PFOA, PFBS and PFHxS, the pesticide 2,4-D and the commonly used painkiller ibuprofen.
In specific combinations these chemicals are known to have increased harmful impacts on a range of species including amphibians, fish, insects, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and algae. Identified detrimental effects included reduced growth, cell function, impacts on embryos and lower survival rates. Any potential human health implications, for example through contact via bathing or recreation, remain unknown.
Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “A harmful chemical cocktail is being stirred up in UK rivers, putting wildlife and public health at risk. Government regulates and monitors chemicals individually, ignoring the cocktail effect. But our research shows that toxic combinations of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and forever chemicals are polluting rivers up and down the country. The new Chemicals Strategy must make sure harmful substances are regulated not just for individual risks, but for their effects in combination.”
Rob Collins, Director of Policy and Science at the Rivers Trust, said: “We need to stop pumping poison into our rivers. Hazardous chemicals are flowing into our waters, derived from every aspect of our lives. On the small-scale from the toiletries, food packaging, clothing and other goods we use individually, to large-scale industrial, medical and food production, we are creating an ever-growing chemical cocktail in our rivers. The fact that these known toxic chemical combinations are found so widely across the country is deeply worrying. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Unless we act now we’ll see increasingly contaminated water, less wildlife in our rivers and ocean, and this raises implications for human health as well.”
Parliamentary event on chemical cocktail pollution
Speaking at a Parliamentary event on chemical cocktail pollution yesterday (23rd May), hosted by UK Youth For Nature and Wildlife and Countryside Link, the Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee, said: “The country’s precious waterways should be as free from pollutants as possible, yet the long-standing prevalence of harmful chemicals has meant that no river in England is in good chemical health. How these chemicals interact with each other could be deadly to creatures living in freshwater habitats.
“During the course of the Committee’s inquiry examining water quality of rivers, we were alarmed at the lack of monitoring taking place for harmful pollutants, including chemicals. We must know what we’re tackling, so monitoring and assessment is absolutely critical. The Committee concluded that annual chemical assessments should take place.
“These findings are a timely reminder that the chemical cocktail in inland waters is affecting every corner of the country. It raises concerns about the potential harm to human health and it is leaving destruction of nature in its wake. The Government should build on its plans to improve water quality by having a clear roadmap on how to address the dangerous chemical cocktail coursing through England’s waterways.”
Ruth Jones MP, Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), said: “The UK’s current approach on chemical pollution is failing, and these stark statistics are yet more evidence of this. No-one wants to swim in a lake polluted with pesticide, have hidden forever chemicals in our drinking water, or see otters, fish, dragonflies and other wildlife poisoned by toxic chemicals in our waters.
“We need action now to curb the chemical cocktail in our rivers, but it is slow to arrive and disappointing when delivered, such as recent limited proposals on PFAS regulation. The Government must up its game and tackle the sewage pollution scandal and chemical pollution crisis together to give communities and nature the clean water they deserve.”