Where 'chemical cocktails' are poisoning Norfolk's rivers

They say the substances are polluting the waterways and poisoning wildlife and have called for changes in the law to prevent them ending up in rivers.

The analysis was carried out by the Wildlife and Countryside Link and the Rivers Trust and used Environment Agency data to find the number of chemical compounds present in water.

The River Yare at Buckenham had some of the highest numbers of chemical compounds found in rivers across the country (Image: Newsquest)

One spot, at Buckenham on the River Yare, was among the worst affected locations in the country, with 92 chemicals found.

These included pesticides and pharmaceuticals, as well as so-called 'forever chemicals', which do not break down naturally.

Sites on the Rivers Stiffkey, Nene, Waveney and Wensum also had some of the highest numbers of chemicals in the region.

Read more: ‘Concerning’ levels of forever chemicals found in UK fish

Norfolk Rivers Trust has said the "worrying" findings show the need for stricter controls to prevent the damage caused by harmful chemicals.

Georgie Waye-Barker, a spokeswoman for the group, said: "It’s deeply worrying to hear of such high levels of these toxic chemicals within the River Yare.

"The [forever chemical] pollutants have already been found in fish, and further research and data is desperately needed to understand how this may transfer within the food chain.

"We must see stricter controls on the use of these harmful chemicals.” 

River, lake and pond sites in England where 1 or more of the 5 chemical cocktails were found (Image: Wildlife and Countryside Link/The Rivers Trust)

Jamie Osborn, Green Party county councillor, said: "Norfolk's rivers are really precious and are some of the most unique and vulnerable habitats in the UK and the world.

"It is very concerning to see forever chemicals are being allowed to flow into the county's rivers.

"We need strong action from the government to tackle this issue and ensure the agencies responsible for the management of our environment are properly funded."

How do the chemicals get into the water?

The chemicals enter the waterways from a variety of sources.

Some come from farming processes and run off into the rivers, others get there through treated sewage from people's homes.

Industrial activity and the waste produced can also lead to chemicals entering the waterways.

The so-called 'forever chemicals' - also known as PFAS - are found in everyday consumer products, like food packaging, cosmetics and cookware.

What are 'chemical cocktails?'

Researchers tested for five different hazardous mixtures involving the forever chemicals PFOS, PFOA, PFBS and PFHxS, the pesticide 2,4-D and the painkiller ibuprofen.

PFAS is the collective name for the group of nearly 10,000 industrial and household substances including PFOS and PFOA.

They are nicknamed forever chemicals because of their failure to break down in the environment.

The River Yare had some of the highest number of chemicals found in the UK (Image: Newsquest)

READ MORE: How sewage stink is putting people off 'Britain's best beach'

PFOS and PFOA are the only two of the family that are restricted in the UK after they were linked to a series of severe health issues.

These chemicals, which enter the environment through industrial and agricultural pollution or sewage, combine to create increased poisonous effects on species such as amphibians, fish, insects, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and algae.

Detrimental effects include reduced growth and cell function, impacts on embryos and lower survival rates.

Any potential effect on humans, whether through bathing, drinking or recreation, is unknown.

Chemical cocktails are poisoning Norfolk's wildlife, according to a new study (Image: Newsquest)

What can be done?

Campaign groups, including the Wildlife Trusts, Surfers Against Sewage and the Rivers Trust, are backing a campaign to phase out toxic chemicals such as PFAS from all but the most necessary uses.

They want chemicals regulated in groups, so if one chemical is found to be harmful then others with a similar molecular structure would face similar restrictions.

And calls have been made locally for Norfolk to lead the way in stopping rivers from 'dying' due to pollution by granting them legal rights.

A government spokesperson said: “We are working closely with our regulators to assess the potential risks posed by unintentional chemical mixtures to our environment.

“This builds on work since the 2000s to increase monitoring and either ban or highly restrict a number of PFAS, both domestically and internationally.

“We will set out our approach to managing chemical mixtures in the chemicals strategy later this year.”