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Superseeded_NERC Freshwater Quality Programme

Understanding Changes in Quality of UK Freshwaters

A new £8.4 million NERC funded program will investigate fresh water quality pollution in Rivers across the UK.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) have appointed Professor Joseph Holden & Professor Pippa Chapman as Freshwater Quality Champions and leaders of this new programme that will study water quality of UK rivers.

The four year NERC program titled ‘Understanding changes in quality of UK freshwaters’ aims to examine:

  • investigate how pollutants enter, leave and interact with rivers and supporting ecosystems
  • determine how the movement of pollutants will be modified with changes in the water cycle
  • create better tools to monitor and measure pollution

The program will oversee five different research projects, each focusing on a different aspect of water quality. Each project will be interdisciplinary and bring together a range of experts needed to deliver the integrated and cross sectional research required.

Projects

Assessing + Managing the Impacts of Mixtures of Chemicals on UK Freshwater

Led by Professor Alistair Boxall (University of York); Project co-leaders: Professor Lorraine Maltby (University of Sheffield); Professor Sim Reaney (University of Durham)

LTLS Freshwater Ecosystems

Analysis and future scenarios of Long-Term and Large-Scale freshwater quality and impacts. Led by Dr Victoria Bell and Dr Stephen Lofts, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

PACIFIC

PAthways of Chemicals Into Freshwaters and their ecological ImpaCts (PACIFIC). Led by Dr Daniel Read, UK Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, including partners University of Bath, University of Oxford, and the Environment Agency

QUANTUM

Quantifying the combined nutrient enrichment, pathogenic, and ecotoxicological impacts of livestock farming on UK rivers. Led by Professor Penny Johnes, University of Bristol.

MOT4Rivers

Monitoring, Modelling and Mitigating Pollution Impacts In A Changing World: Science And Tools For Tomorrow’s Rivers. Led by Professor Andrew Tyler, University of Stirling.