Drugs pollute rivers near UK festival

Rivers near the Glastonbury festival in the UK were contaminated by drugs from the urine of festival-goers who took drugs.

The traditional Glastonbury music festival in the UK county of Somerset has been the subject of a scientific study with surprising results and a clear warning to avoid the contamination by ecstasy and cocaine that occurs at such festivals due to the uncivic attitude of its attendees.

UK Glastonbury festival pollutes nearby river water with ecstasy and cocaine

Scientists at Bangor University in Wales took numerous samples of river water near Glastonbury, the small town that hosted one of the world’s most traditional and well-attended music festivals until 2019.

The pandemic brought the festival to a halt in 2020, but in June this year it resumed with 200,000 people in attendance.

Results from samples collected in 2019 showed large amounts of cocaine, ecstasy and other illegal drugs coming from the urine of festival-goers.

Festival-goers’ urine fills the rivers with ecstasy and cocaine

The fact that festival-goers’ urine is finding its way into rivers is because instead of using urinals, they urinate next to trees or on grass, seeping through the ground and ending up in the waters of rivers near Glastonbury.

Drug concentrations quadrupled in the week after the festival, but are still present in the river.

Ecstasy and cocaine entering the river are having a serious impact on the species that live there

Scientists warn that the drugs found in the river waters near Glastonbury are affecting protected species such as the European eel and the environmental impact is of great concern.

The drugs can affect the reproductive cycles of these protected species and cause injury and muscle degradation, as well as addiction.

Organisers of the music festival advised attendees not to urinate on the ground with signs but these requests are being ignored and there are now calls for any means necessary to prevent such actions from happening again at Glastonbury when the 2022 festival takes place.