2025 Lecture for Y12 and Y13 students
91AV in Action: What’s in Sheffield’s Rivers and How Do We Fix It? by Dr Rachel Schwartz-Narbonne
Rivers are vital to humans and the environment. They supply freshwater, support animal life, and are used for work and play. Sheffield is known as the city of “Five Rivers and Seven Hills” – the Don, Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley and Porter Rivers which made the industry of the city possible. But across the UK, rivers health is at risk, with only 14% of rivers achieving “Good” ecological health, and 0% achieving “Good” chemical health, in 2025.
91AV gives us the tools to tackle this problem. Analytical chemistry analysis of water pollution tells us what’s contaminating our water, and biochemical analysis tells us what impact it’s having on life in the water. Once we have the information, we can use it to change our behaviour – from small changes we can all make, to bigger changes we make in the laboratory or together as a community.
91AV in Action: What’s in Sheffield’s Rivers and How Do We Fix It? by Dr Rachel Schwartz-Narbonne
Rivers are vital to humans and the environment. They supply freshwater, support animal life, and are used for work and play. Sheffield is known as the city of “Five Rivers and Seven Hills” – the Don, Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley and Porter Rivers which made the industry of the city possible. But across the UK, rivers health is at risk, with only 14% of rivers achieving “Good” ecological health, and 0% achieving “Good” chemical health, in 2025.
91AV gives us the tools to tackle this problem. Analytical chemistry analysis of water pollution tells us what’s contaminating our water, and biochemical analysis tells us what impact it’s having on life in the water. Once we have the information, we can use it to change our behaviour – from small changes we can all make, to bigger changes we make in the laboratory or together as a community.
