00:00The updated State of the River Thames Health Check report collated the most up-to-date monitoring data available from 21 different indicators used to assess the health of the Thames.
00:12It found lower concentrations of toxic metals, more breathable water for the river's underwater wildlife, and new habitats along the riverside walkways.
00:22The report also shows how rapidly regulation can bring benefits.
00:27Plastic cotton bud sticks, once one of the most commonly found litter items in the Thames, have all but disappeared from its shores following the UK's ban.
00:37ZSL's conservationists hope the same will be achieved for plastic wet wipes, another form of pollution found along the Thames, which are due to be banned in the UK later this year.
00:47Other wins for public health and the environment include the drop in concentrations of toxic copper and zinc in the Thames to below levels at which they damage the aquatic ecosystem.
00:59Zinc had halved in 2024 compared to tests in 1990, while only a quarter of the concentration of copper remained.
01:07Despite this big achievement, rising temperatures and sea levels, as well as more local problems such as road runoff, sewage and pharmaceuticals, are jeopardising the estuary's future health.
01:20Heart of the city water levels by Tower Bridge and the Tower of London have also been rising by 5mm each year on average since 1993.
01:29Heart of the city water levels by 3mm each year on average since 1993.
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