Class A drugs damaging wildlife in rivers near Glastonbury Festival

Dangerously high levels of class A drugs have been detected in the river that runs through the site of Glastonbury Festival, damaging wildlife.

According to scientists, dangerously high levels of class A drugs have been detected in the river that runs through the site of Glastonbury Festival and is damaging wildlife.

Researchers discovered that during the festival, which runs over five days, levels of cocaine and MDMA were dangerously high and causing damage to wildlife.

Festival goers seemed to prefer ‘peeing on the land’ rather than using the toilets at the Somerset festival. Experts are now urging those who attend the festival in the future to use the facilities provided.

Dr Christian Dunn, from Bangor University, said: “Our main concern is the environmental impact.

“This study identifies that drugs are being released at levels high enough to disrupt the life cycle of the European eel, potentially derailing conservation efforts to protect this endangered species.

“Education is essential for environmental issues, just as people have been made aware of the problems of plastic pollution, and Glastonbury have made great efforts to become plastic-free, we also need to raise awareness around drug and pharmaceutical waste – it is a hidden, worryingly-understudied yet potentially devastating pollutant.”

A spokesperson for the festival said protecting local rivers and wildlife was of “paramount importance” to Glastonbury Festival and that it has a waterways sampling regime in place during the event each year.

They said “no concerns” were raised by the Environment Agency following Glastonbury 2019.

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