Water UK, the organisation which represents all the UK water companies, are calling on the Government to go further and faster on in taking action on wet wipes.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a new consultation on banning wet wipes containing plastic across the UK under plans to tackle plastic pollution and clean up the country’s waterways.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey is expected to announce tougher penalties and fines on water companies this week which will be reinvested back into a new Water Restoration Fund, making polluters pay for damage they cause to the environment.

A new research study has shown that farmlands across Europe are potentially the biggest global reservoir of microplastics due to the high concentrations found in fertilisers derived from sewage sludge - with the UK shown to potentially have the highest amount of microplastic contamination in its soils.

New research by experts from The University of Manchester has found that the poor management of untreated wastewater and raw sewage by water companies is the main source of microplastic pollution in the UK’s rivers.

Highways England has launched a study into whether surface water which runs off roads affects the level of microplastics in the environment – the first phase of research paves the way for further studies on microplastics pollution.

An international research project has revealed the highest levels of microplastic ever recorded on the seafloor, with up to 1.9 million pieces in a thin layer covering just one square metre.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is today calling for a further assessment of microplastics in the environment and their potential impacts on human health, following the release of an analysis of current research related to microplastics in drinking-water.

A new research study by scientists at the University of Victoria, British Columbia in Canada is warning that humans are unknowingly consuming tens of thousands of plastic particles per year—a problem that requires further research to understand potential health impacts.

In an Expert Focus article for Waterbriefing, Jo Bradley, Market Development Manager, SDS Ltd draws attention to an overlooked source of microplastics pollution.