News ·
Listen: Seb Pitman on BBC Radio Newcastle
Dr Seb Pitman spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle about what our modelling shows: a significant share of the spilled pellets are still in the Tyne, and the higher river flows of autumn and winter could flush them out to sea.
In the interview, Seb explains that:
- Many pellets are still in the river. Our modelling suggests more than two tonnes were still in the estuary at the end of August, around six weeks after the spill. That is a conservative figure, because the model can't account for pellets caught in vegetation, port infrastructure or riverbed sediment.
- Autumn flows are a risk and an opportunity. Higher river flows are likely to flush some of these pellets downstream. If we can anticipate when that happens, there is a chance to intercept them before they reach the sea.
- The longer they stay, the more they may pick up. The Tyne's sediments still carry metals from the region's mining history, and pellets in contact with them may take some up.
- Most pellets have gone offshore and will keep washing up from time to time, possibly for years, as seen after spills elsewhere in the world. Recovering all of them is not possible.
- Our 12-month project is now under way. You may see us on the Tyne using boats and drones, and sampling pellets to find out whether they are taking up pollutants and what that could mean for seabirds and wildlife.
Read more in our article Where did the Tyne's nurdles go? What our modelling shows, and in the BBC News story Autumn river levels could move nurdles downstream.
