Masses of toxic litter pours from Rhine into North Sea each year, research finds

A floating litter trap was anchored in Cologne to monitor the amount of rubbish flowing through the Rhine. Photograph: Sean Pavone/Alamy

Thousands of tonnes of litter are pouring into the North Sea via the Rhine every year, poisoning the waters with heavy metals, microplastics and other chemicals, research has found.

This litter can be detrimental to the environment and human health: tyres, for example, contain zinc and other heavy metals that can be toxic to ecosystems in high concentrations.