“Chemical cocktails” are polluting England’s rivers, lakes and groundwater sites and poisoning wildlife, analysis has revealed. They were found in 1,600 waterways including the River Irwell which stretches 39 miles long from the headwaters in Rossendale to its canalised lower reaches in Salford.
This week as late spring turns into early summer nature appeared to be thriving where The Irwell meets the River Roche in Springwater Park, Whitefield. Sand martins were flitting out of riverbank nests; grey wagtails bobbed between rocks in the shallows, and four goslings trailed their Canada geese parents. The water is also clear enough to see two huge lorry tryes on the river bed.
But the Irwell at the footbridge over Salford University was among the top ten sites in the country for having the highest number of chemicals. It shared 8th position with the Mersey at Flixton Road in Trafford where 91 chemicals were identified from samples taken. The worst was also in the north west - 101 chemicals in the Mersey above Howley Weir in Warrington.
