Sewage release is worse for rivers than agriculture pollution, study reveals

clock • 4 min read
Image of the pollution in the Bradford watercourse | Credit: Environment Agency
Image:

Image of the pollution in the Bradford watercourse | Credit: Environment Agency

Research finds sewage pollution, whether treated or untreated, is primary driver of increased nutrients, algae, and sewage fungus in UK rivers

Sewage discharge into rivers has been found to have a more detrimental effect on water quality and animal and plant life than pollution from the surrounding land. That is according to research published...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Risk

Iran oil shock could increase farmers' fuel bills by more than two thirds

Iran oil shock could increase farmers' fuel bills by more than two thirds

ECIU warns UK farming sector could pay an extra £337m in fuel costs if diesel prices remain high

Stuart Stone
clock 02 April 2026 • 6 min read
Study: Almost half of industrial firms have faced climate-related disruption in the past two years

Study: Almost half of industrial firms have faced climate-related disruption in the past two years

Major survey from Equans reveals how climate adaptation measures are increasingly seen as a priority issue for industrial firms

Stuart Stone
clock 01 April 2026 • 4 min read
'No importer is safe': How the Iran War energy crisis is not a one-off event

'No importer is safe': How the Iran War energy crisis is not a one-off event

New analysis from E3G warns 'chokepoints' in global oil and gas supplies make energy shocks an inherent feature of fossil fuel markets

James Murray
clock 31 March 2026 • 6 min read