Last week’s BBC documentary ‘Drowning in plastic’ with its images of seabird chicks regurgitating plastic, vast rafts of plastic debris, and entangled wildlife was yet another reminder of the scale of the problem of plastic pollution in the marine environment. Reports from Lord Howe Island and the Arctic reinforced the point that this is a […]
Editorial Containment News – September 2018 Two years on from the vote to leave the EU the lack of clarity on even the most basic elements of the uncoupling are not comforting for the potential impact leaving will have on our environmental regulations. Initial fears of a ‘bonfire’ of environmental legislation and ‘watered down’ regulations have eased somewhat, […]
The release of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in waste water from treatment plants (WWTPs) is currently not regulated anywhere in the world, with the exception of a few plants in Switzerland. Yet thousands of PhACs or their by-products — excreted by humans — can be found in waste water and some of these may harm […]
There is a great deal of coverage of the full scale trial of the Boyan Slat boom technology (Ocean Clean Up) and its deployment in the Pacific Garbage patch. One wonders given the high level of fishing net amongst this debris whether a different – hook and catch technology – linked to a Net Works […]
By Sara Jerome Flushing contact lenses is contributing to water pollution because lenses do not break down entirely in wastewater treatment systems, according to a new study. “Americans use about 14-billion contact lenses every year, resulting in an estimated 50,000 pounds winding up in sinks and toilets,” WTOL reported. Researchers presented the findings at an American Chemical […]
An apology for ‘management’ – Untreated distillery waste & fish farms waste continue to pollute A Report on Untreated Waste in the Kilbrannan Sound From – Voice for Arran, Issue 89 31st July 2018 Dr Sally Campbell, local resident and marine scientist, reports on the plans by Marine Harvest to establish a new salmon farm and […]
Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey hosted a meeting of 30 High Commissioners from Commonwealth countries today in London. The meeting was the first time that representatives from the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance (CCOA) have met, as four more countries sign up to the UK and Vanuatu-led efforts to tackle ocean plastic. The Alliance, which was announced by […]
EA ‘The Environment Agency announced that water companies need to do more to protect the environment and published the annual Water Company Environmental Performance report highlighting that severe pollution incidents caused by water companies rose for the third year running last year. Although there has been a gradual improving trend in environmental performance over recent years, the […]