Some of the ‘most iconic and remote’ rivers and lakes in Britain have been the subject of research led by Dr Christian Dunn of Bangor University and Friends of the Earth, assessing microplastic pollution.
The study investigated ten sites and found microplastics in all of them.
“It’s now clear that microplastics should be considered a serious emerging containment,” Dr Dunn said about the results of the study, and noted that “we have to start taking the issue of plastic in our inland waters seriously”.
SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Design) are an effective way to deal with the growing problem of microplastic pollution.
The pollutant removal processes within SuDS means that microplastics can be filtered or settled out of highway runoff. Well designed SuDS trap a range of pollutants including microplastics at source, therefore cleaning the runoff and protecting the sensitive receiving waterways from the potentially toxic liquor.