2024-05-12 15:34:25
The largest and most famous river in Great Britain, the Thames, is polluted devastatingly with sewage. The levels of bacteria dangerous to humans in it are so great that some rowing competitions and training sessions along it had to be cancelled.
Some have called what is happening a national disgrace, because as the French prepare to swim in the Seine this summer after a 100-year ban, it is becoming dangerous for the English to cross the Thames even in rowing boats. The reason is that record amounts of faeces and the presence of Escherichia coli 10 times higher than normal were found in the river. The authorities claim that due to the heavy rainfall in recent months, the treatment plants were unable to absorb all the waste water and some of it ended up in the Thames untreated.
The Oxford-Cambridge Regatta is one of Britain’s most popular races. It has existed since 1829 along the Thames, but for the first time it has now been forbidden to throw the winners into the river. Rowing students have been advised to wash quickly after the race.
The Polish Miroslav and the Romanian Andrey are enjoying the first sunny days in months on the banks of the Thames, but they wouldn’t cool off in its waters for anything in the world.
“I’m definitely worried about her being so dirty. The city itself is very polluted and I’m sure that many infections are transmitted through the water,” says Miroslav.
With its 346 kilometers in length, the Thames passes through dozens of settlements, including the capital, London. Because of heavy pollution, it was declared biologically dead in 1957, but ecological improvements made in recent years have brought some animals back into it. A study showed that there are now 115 species of fish and 92 species of birds. Sharks, seahorses, eels are found, and recently dolphins were spotted, reports Nova TV.
“I would catch a fish, but I certainly wouldn’t take it home. May contain microplastics. We have already watched a lot of documentaries about this,” Miroslav also said.