Image description: two hands wearing blue gloves taking a water sample from polluted pond.

Families affected by Corby’s toxic waste scandal have been testing waterways in a town to detect if they were contaminated.

Children in Corby, Northamptonshire, have been born with birth defects, believed to have been caused when the town’s steelworks were demolished and dismantled in the 1980s.

Earthwatch Europe, a charity that supports residents investigating nature in their communities, has been working with volunteers to test if metal was present across 50 sites. A report looking into the impact of metals on aquatic life will subsequently be published in January 2026.

Dr Sasha Woods, director of science and policy for Earthwatch Europe, has clarified they are currently “only testing the fresh waters for the impact metals can have on aquatic life; this study is not related to human health”.

Testing the sites involved two processes: Community volunteers were given citizen science kits, which provide immediate results for five heavy metals, including cadmium, chromium and zinc. They also took an additional sample, which would be sent for laboratory analysis to provide more detailed data.

The BBC reports North Northamptonshire Council had recently agreed to set up a working group to examine public health and contamination issues in the town.