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Water companies are main cause of microplastic pollution in UK’s rivers
New research by experts from The University of Manchester has found that the poor management of untreated wastewater and raw sewage by water companies is the main source of microplastic pollution in the UK’s rivers.
Three years ago, the researchers from the University’s Department of Geography were the first to demonstrate high levels of microplastic contamination on the UK’s river beds.
Now, new research published in the journal Nature Sustainability has found that water companies themselves are the cause of this contamination, as they are releasing wastewater during periods of dry weather into river flows that are too sluggish to disperse microplastics downstream.