Chemical cocktails harmful to wildlife found in 81% of English rivers and lakes

A common frog on a riverbank in Essex. Chemical cocktails in waterways have caused some species to have stunted growth and lower survival rates. Photograph: Mark Dunn/Alamy

Chemical cocktails that are harmful to wildlife have been found in 81% of river and lake sites tested in England, a study has found.

Wildlife organisations are calling on the government for more rigorous testing of waterways for chemical cocktails, and new legal protections against dangerous mixtures, including requiring assessments of potential hazardous chemical mixture impacts before any new chemical is allowed on the market.