Report confirms widespread presence of metal pollution in Corby’s rivers
Metals have been detected at levels that pose harmful risks to aquatic life
A new environmental report has identified metal pollution across multiple freshwater sites in Corby.
Environmental charity Earthwatch Europe worked with 35 trained volunteers from the area, to test 59 freshwater sites in Corby last November. Water samples were analysed for 33 elements, including 29 metals and metalloids, using both field kits and laboratory testing.
Background: Why the study was carried out
Corby’s former British Steel works closed in 1980, and the demolition and redevelopment of the site involved the movement of large quantities of contaminated waste. As part of the project, millions of tonnes of contaminated waste were relocated to Deene Quarry on the town’s outskirts.
Concerns about how this material was handled resurfaced in the years that followed when a number of children were born with upper limb defects.
In 2009, the High Court ruled that airborne industrial contaminants including cadmium, chromium and nickel, had contributed to these birth defects during the reclamation period. The case was revisited in the Netflix drama Toxic Town in February 2025, prompting renewed public interest in the town’s environmental history.
In response to ongoing community concerns, Earthwatch Europe was approached in August 2025 by Corby community leaders to help assess whether any residual contamination remained in local waterways.
Earthwatch also worked alongside Corby MP, Lee Barron, who helped to organise the community water testing in Corby.
Testing the waters in Corby
Sara Earl alongside her husband, Daniel and son George, tested seven different sits in the Corby area as part of the freshwater study. She reflected on the day: ''We've got absolutely soaked. We took a test back to the car where we were able to look straight away to see if there were 5 different metals present. Some of the sites were showing them, so we sent a sample back to the community centre, which went off to be tested,
''I have read the stories over the years and I knew about the court case of the airborne pollutants. So, I just wanted to be able to help be part of that story, get involved and support the community.
''The day was a real opportunity for the community and for the people who were really interested and wanted to make a bit of an impact - and to find out exactly what's going on with a with an evidence-based hat on.'' Sara added.
Dr Sasha Woods Director of Science and Impact at Earthwatch said: ''The citizen scientists were absolutely crucial in this entire investigation because they knew the sites of interest, they knew the freshwater bodies that they wanted to investigate and at which points they wanted to assess metal pollution.''
Key Findings
- PNEC stands for Predicted No Effect Concentration which is the threshold below which aquatic ecosystems are considered safe
- Every site tested in Corby contained at least one metal or metalloid above its PNEC
- Nickel was detected in 30 samples at concentrations higher than its PNEC
- Cadmium was detected in 7 samples at elevated concentrations
When discussing the findings Dr Woods explained: ''There are several metals that are normally present in freshwater. Metals like iron and copper are needed at very low concentrations for plants and animals to survive and grow. But when they are at high concentrations, that's when they pose a risk to the plants and animals living in fresh water.
''Nickel was found at concentrations above its predicted nerve fact concentration at 30 sides across Corby. Metals like nickel can impact the way that plants and animals grow. It can also affect the reproductive cycles of things like fish, and so it can have a very negative detrimental impact on our ecosystems.'' Dr Woods added.
Dr Woods says that Corby is taking the lead when it comes to community freshwater testing. She said: This was the first ever citizen science investigation into metal pollution in fresh water.''
When asked how Corby's water pollution compares to other towns in the county Woods explained:
''It's very difficult to compare Corby to other locations. In any case, it's difficult to compare Corby to anywhere else because you need to test on the same day in the same weather conditions.
But this study gave us a very powerful snapshot of metal pollution in Corby and gives us further information to investigate the situation over a longer period of time.''
Earthwatch stressed that these findings were only from testing the freshwater of Corby – the streams that run through the town.
Dr Woods added: We were not testing drinking water, and it's important to note that the freshwater in Corby is not taken up for drinking water.''