Glasgow Researchers Tackle Pollution, PFAS, Food Poverty and Oil at UN Science Summit

Four PhD researchers from the University of Glasgow brought environmental and social sustainability research to the United Nations Science Summit, connecting Scotland's rivers and the UK's food system to global crises spanning chemical contamination, climate change, and regulatory failure.

• Researcher maps 360,000+ registered chemicals threatening Scotland's River Nith ecosystem across four seasons and 10 monitoring sites
• Study warns UK flood events may spread PFAS "forever chemicals" far beyond known pollution sites — and current policy doesn't account for it
• UK wastes 9.5 million tonnes of food annually while 7 million people live in food poverty; researcher questions whether 2030 SDG target is achievable
• Comparative study finds oil pollution persists in both the UK North Sea and Nigeria's Niger Delta due to enforcement failures, not lack of regulation

Why it matters: More than 360,000 chemicals have been registered globally and introduced into natural environments, creating threats that extend far beyond any single country's borders. A new research framework aims to combine pollution monitoring with climate data — an approach that could reshape how Scotland manages its river basins.