Scientists have been carrying out water sampling at Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland as part of a project to investigate sources of pollutants in the lake, in order to support its restoration.
The CLEAR-Neagh project, led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, is using advanced scientific methods to trace pollution across the catchment including tributaries, inlets and the shoreline. Sources of excess nutrients include run-off from farms, human wastewater from treatment plants and septic tanks, as well as industry.
The project will also provide a better understanding of the potential threats such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and invasive species that can pose risks to ecosystems, livestock and human health.
Lough Neagh, which is the UK’s largest freshwater lake in terms of surface area, is the source of around 40 per cent of the country's drinking water. It also supports agriculture, fisheries and is an internationally important wetland for wildlife. Algal blooms in recent years have highlighted the urgent need for tools to better identify the sources and movement of pollution across the catchment.
The new project, which involves UKCEH, Biota Trace and the Lough Neagh Partnership, is taking water samples from more than 60 locations – 30 around the lough and the other half in rivers that feed into it. These samples are collected and filtered using technology developed by Biota Trace, which also provides a remote-controlled boat for points further out into the water.
The exercise is being done at the same locations six times over the course of the 18-month project.
