"The latest State of the Thames report, published by the Zoological Society of London, collates the most up-to-date data available from 21 different indicators used to monitor the health of the Thames. While dissolved oxygen and nutrients such as phosphorous show signs of improving in the long-term, nitrate levels continue to worsen over the long term. In another win, concentrations of toxic copper and zinc in the Thames are now below levels at which they cause damage to the aquatic ecosystem."
"Salinity levels remain stable for now, though future sea level rise may alter this balance and affect species distributions, the report finds. Despite this, climate change continues to pose a huge challenge, with rising temperatures and sea levels impacting the long-term health of the river. The summer temperature of the Thames has increased on average by 0.13C each year since 2007, equivalent to a 1C temperature rise every eight years."
Policymakers raised water quality standards, leading to substantial recovery of the Thames' ecological condition over recent decades. Dissolved oxygen and phosphorus concentrations show long-term improvement, while nitrate levels continue to worsen. Concentrations of toxic copper and zinc have fallen below levels that cause ecosystem damage, with zinc halving since 1990 and copper reducing to a quarter of earlier concentrations. Salinity remains stable for now, but rising sea levels and warming water temperatures threaten species distributions. Summer temperatures have risen about 0.13°C per year since 2007 and river levels near Tower Bridge have risen roughly 5 mm per year since 1993.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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