Binning medicine could do 'untold harm' to river

A conservation group has warned that the ways people get rid of medication and household chemicals could be doing "untold harm" to a river in York.

Flushing or binning medicine, garden pesticides and cleaning products was causing the waterway to become polluted, the River Foss Society said.

The group said foam on the surface of the river from detergents and oil film from car wax and polishes were also examples of the impact household waste was having.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said it was essential for households and businesses to dispose of waste properly to prevent it flowing into rivers through drains and sewers.

It comes amid ongoing concerns about the health of the River Foss, which is also impacted by discharges of untreated sewage during storms.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, society members, a scientist and activists told York councillors in November the amount of sewage, chemicals and other pollutants in the rivers Foss and Ouse was a scandal.

University of York scientist Dr John Wilkinson, who researches chemical pollution in rivers, told the meeting findings showed the Foss was the worst in Europe for pharmaceutical contaminants.

Councillors backed a call for a ban on "forever chemicals" that linger in waterways and for investment into the country's sewage and drainage infrastructure.

The River Foss Society said most pharmaceutical drugs which pass through the body would not be treated and would end up in the watercourse, harming aquatic creatures.

A spokesperson for the group said small quantities of medicinal chemicals were present in most waterways as a result, with the full environmental effects unknown.

But the spokesperson added there were ways people could help to curb the amount of drugs and chemicals that end up in rivers by disposing of them properly.

They said: "Each year, large quantities of unused and expired medications are dumped into bins or flushed down toilets, sinks and drains.

"The same is true of many toxic domestic chemicals such as garden pesticides, cleaning fluids, solvents and paint.

"They can do untold harm if they get into a watercourse, even low levels of pollutant may still harm the river's occupants.

"Where you can help is by not disposing of any out-of-date or leftover items down the loo or in a bin."

Instead, they suggested using designated free drop-off points, which could be found at most pharmacies.

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