Toxic Chemicals in England’s Waters
All bodies of water in England polluted with toxic chemicals, official data shows
- Level
- C1
- Estimated time
- 30–40 minutes
- Reading
- 1 min read
The story
New official data shows that every body of water in England is polluted with toxic chemicals, and only 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status in the latest assessment.
The Environment Agency assessed rivers, lakes and estuaries and checked for a range of toxic chemicals, from PFAS to microplastics. Under the Water Framework Directive the official target for good chemical and ecological status is December 2027, though some chemicals have later deadlines in the 2030s.
The agency said the failure must have been driven almost entirely by the presence of mercury, PFOS and PBDEs. These substances are persistent: they do not break down and must have accumulated in sediments and organisms over many years. If chemical concentrations exceed set standards, a water body fails to meet good chemical status.
England’s waters are not predicted to reach good chemical status until 2063, the agency says. Ami McCarthy of Greenpeace UK described the scale of the crisis as "sobering". The Environment Agency said it is working to identify pollution sources and improve monitoring, and campaigners called for water companies and agriculture to take responsibility.
Key vocabulary
- polluted
- Contaminated with harmful substances
- toxic
- Poisonous or harmful to living things
- surface waters
- Rivers, lakes and estuaries seen on the Earth’s surface
- ecological
- Relating to the relationships of living things and their environment
- persistent
- Not breaking down easily; remaining in the environment for a long time
- mercury
- A toxic metal that can harm health and wildlife
- PFOS
- A type of PFAS chemical linked to health risks
- agriculture
- Farming activities, including use of fertilisers and pesticides
Comprehension check
Write your answer, reveal the model answer, then score yourself honestly.
1. What percentage of England’s surface waters achieved good ecological status?
2. Which types of water bodies did the Environment Agency assess?
3. Which three chemicals did the agency say largely caused the failure?
4. By what year are England’s water bodies predicted to reach good chemical status?
5. Who described the scale of the crisis as "sobering"?
Grammar focus
Modals for past deduction
Modals for past deduction (must have, might have, can't have) express logical conclusions about past events. They are often used to explain likely causes when direct proof is not given.
- The agency said the failure must have been driven almost entirely by the presence of mercury, PFOS and PBDEs.
- These substances are persistent: they do not break down and must have accumulated in sediments and organisms over many years.
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence with the correct modal + past participle form for past deduction.
1. The river ___ (pollute) so far.
2. The agency ___ (check) the waters last year.
3. Farmers ___ (drive) pollution recently.
4. Chemicals ___ (accumulate) over decades.
5. Water bodies ___ (reach) good status yet so far.
Discussion
For reflection or speaking practice — not graded.
- What practical steps could water companies take to reduce chemical pollution?
- How might persistent chemicals affect the food chain in rivers and lakes?
- Should governments set earlier or later deadlines to fix polluted waters? Why?
- How can farming practices change to reduce pollution runoff?