drink algae but avoid dioxin? :D

[allipansas]

it's tricky sorting through rules and regs and separating the real dangers from the legal issues - and like some other posters I"ve swum through thick carpets of blue green algae and even swallowed the occasional gulp or two and no ill effects...I love swimming and snorkelling, but what i can't find since I arrived in the UK, is any information on pesticides, carcinogens, heavy metals and so on in the water. These are the real dangers and over thousands of years of mining, centuries of coal mining and 19th heavy industry there must be arsenic, lead, mercury, radioactive products in small quantities etc. but I can't find any information as to which areas of the rivers and lakes to avoid. Does anyone know where to look, or whom to ring?

thanks

[Adrian Kelland]

The Environment Agency (http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/) is probably a good place to start.

There are sometimes news items that a particular bit of water may have blue-green algal blooms, but this depends on the rest of the news that day, or if a dog has fallen in.

Historic data re quarries etc is somewhat harder. I am not aware of a public gazetteer containing this info. Landmark (http://www.environmental-expert.com/consulting/landmark/landmark.htm) have some info, but this is only available on a commercial basis AFAIK.

Adrian