Against the flow: where did the Tyne's nurdles go?
On 19 July 2026 a vessel collision at the Port of Tyne released an estimated 17.9 tonnes of plastic pellets into the river, polluting the estuary and nearby coast. We are studying how the tide carried them upstream, where they are now trapped, and how they are changing.
A pollution incident we can learn from
The spill is a serious pollution incident. Plastic pellets last for decades or longer, can be swallowed by birds and fish, and pick up contaminants from the water around them. Once trapped in mudflats, saltmarsh and riverside vegetation, they are hard to clear without damaging those habitats, and later tides and floods can release them again. Because the source, timing and type of pellet are known, tracking them now shows where the harm lies and how to limit it, here and in future spills.
What we are investigating
How far upstream?
Establish the upstream limit and spatial pattern of pellet deposition along the tidal river.
Moving with the tide
Measure how many pellets travel upstream on the flood tide and downstream on the ebb.
What controls it?
Use 3D computer models of the river to find what makes pellets spread, settle and get trapped.
How do they change?
Track how the pellets break down, become coated in organisms and pick up metals over time.
Seen nurdles on the Tyne? Tell us.
Photos and videos from people who live, work and walk along the river are valuable evidence. They show us where pellets have reached and when.
- Keep location on
Your phone records when and where each photo is taken. That's exactly what we need, so there's nothing to write down. - Take photos or videos
Get close enough to see the pellets, and send as many as you like. - Send us the originals
Upload them securely. You choose what we can do with them.
Working with the response
We work with the organisations leading the incident response and recovery to establish the evidence base: where the pellets have travelled, where they are stored, and which places may release them again in future.
Who we are
A team of river scientists, modellers, sediment specialists and geochemists from Newcastle University and the University of Liverpool, funded through NERC's Urgency programme.
