Canoeist launches county-wide water pollution study
BBCAn international canoe sprint athlete is appealing for help in gathering samples to test the quality of water in rivers, streams, and lakes in Nottinghamshire.
Beth Gill won gold at the 2022 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships and is now preparing for qualification for the Olympics in Los Angeles.
She is also studying for a PhD in microbiology in Nottingham and has received a grant for her sampling project from National Lottery operators, Allwyn.
"I spend a lot of time on the waterways, training multiple times a day and we get to see the real beauty of the city, whether that's a gorgeous sunrise, a sunset, herons crossing the river; but also we see some of the less pleasant sides," she said.
She said people in the water sports community often refer to illnesses they experience after being in the water as "Trent belly".
"Maybe you've taken in a bit of the water, maybe you've had a capsize and you're likely to get Trent belly," she said.
"For me, it's about delving deeper into that and can we reduce the amount of times that's said?"
The project is examining microbial contamination in waterways in the county and the risk to communities.
People who register to take part in the project are sent a package in the post which includes an ice pack and sampling tube.
Samples can be taken from any waterway in Nottinghamshire.
Participants are asked to use what3words - a free app which divides the world into three-by-three metre squares - and write the location from which the sample was taken on the tube before sending it back to the lab.
The results are then displayed on an online map.
The project is being run in partnership with the Environment Agency, which has provided water quality data from its own system of monitoring, which includes field sampling, laboratory analysis, and data assessment.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "We are committed to driving up water quality across our rivers, lakes and seas and are proud to work in collaboration with Beth and other agencies on this important project.
"This work will complement our own monitoring programme, helping us to identify and prioritise action where it will have the most impact."
Gill said the project is purely a fact-finding exercise, but added she does not want the research to put people off enjoying the waterways.
"I love my sport and I will continue doing it for many, many years and I want to get more people involved in it," she said.
"I really want to get people involved in the science. I want to start those conversations and get people excited about it, but on the way it means we're going to gather data that means changes can be made."
The window for providing water samples is open until 31 July.
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