The Impact of Increasing Pollution on Rivers

🌱 How does increasing pollution impact rivers?

There are a variety of different industrial and other waste streams that find their way into rivers. Amongst these, particularly plastic pollution and pollution through perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are growing areas of concern.[i] Other polluters that harm aquatic life through direct discharge or runoff that flow into other bodies of water after rainfall include fertilizers, acids and toxic metals from mining, as well as medication from sewage.[ii]

🌱 How is waste polluting rivers?

Plastic waste harms organisms when it is ingested. Plastics — also when broken down into microplastics — disrupt the growth and reproductive ability of fish.[iii] Toxic waste, such as pesticides and insecticides from agricultural runoff, can furthermore interact with each other or other factors once released into the environment with unforeseen consequences. Going forward, it is therefore advised to monitor pesticides to account for unexpected risks once a chemical is released in the environment.[iv] Environmental scientists warn that even pesticides marketed as more effective in lower doses — but that are higher in toxicity — are likely to cause higher ecological damage.[v]

🌱 How is PFAS polluting rivers?

The pollution of rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters through PFAS or so-called “forever chemicals” is increasing over time. There are around 10 000 different PFAS compounds, including the extremely persistent PFOS. The pollution of water through PFAS “can harm human health and the environment”.[vi] PFAS exposure also decreases the survival rate of (aquatic) species.[vii]

🌱 How polluted are Europe’s waters?

Overall, “only 29% of Europe’s waters achieved good chemical status over the 2015-2021 period”, according to a recent assessment from the European Environment Agency (EEA). A recent EEA study also “shows that most monitored rivers, transitional and coastal waters and a large part of lakes in Europe are polluted with at least one of the many extremely persistent chemical compounds that are deemed harmful for people and nature”. An analysis of data from 2022 showed that “59% of sites in rivers, 35% of sites in lakes, and 73% of sites in transitional and coastal waters [in Europe] exceeded the environmental quality standard for PFOS”.[viii]

This post has been adapted from a newsletter written by Krisna Baghouzian and Christine Nikander. The newsletter titled “How can businesses protect rivers and their biodiversity?” was originally published in “The Just Transition Newsletter” by Palsa & Pulk.

[i] European Environment Agency (EEA), ‘’Forever chemicals’ found above threshold levels in many water bodies in Europe. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/forever-chemicals-in-water-bodies (09.12.2024)

[ii] Agrani Paudel, Water Pollution: Sources, Pollutants, Types, Effects, Prevention. https://microbenotes.com/water-pollution/ (20.02.2025)

[iii] Wang et al., Meta-analysis of the effects of microplastic on fish: Insights into growth, survival, reproduction, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota diversity (2024). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135424013927 (20.02.2025)

[iv] Vijver et al., Postregistration Monitoring of Pesticides is Urgently Required to Protect Ecosystems (2017). https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item%3A2939208/view (20.02.2025)

[v] Tom Nederstigt and Martina G. Vijver, Nanotechnology promises to help farmers cut pesticide use – but could also make chemicals more toxic. https://theconversation.com/nanotechnology-promises-to-help-farmers-cut-pesticide-use-but-could-also-make-chemicals-more-toxic-223404 (20.02.2025)

[vi] European Environment Agency (EEA), ’Forever chemicals’ found above threshold levels in many water bodies in Europe (2024). https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/forever-chemicals-in-water-bodies (20.02.2025)

[vii] Chambers et al., A review of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substance impairment of reproduction (2021). https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/toxicology/articles/10.3389/ftox.2021.732436/full (22.11.2021)

[viii] European Environment Agency (EEA), ’Forever chemicals’ found above threshold levels in many water bodies in Europe (2024). https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/forever-chemicals-in-water-bodies (20.02.2025)