The Forth at Risk

Both unique and vulnerable the Firth of Forth is a treasured asset and inspirational landscape. It is a place where industry and wildlife, sandy beaches and mudflats, ancient fishing villages and Scotland's capital city come together.

Stretching from the tidal limit at Stirling past the petrochemical complexes at Grangemouth, under the iconic rail bridge and past Edinburgh to the wide estuary mouth between Dunbar and Fife Ness, the Firth of Forth covers an area of almost 650sq miles. A quarter of Scotland's population lives along its shores and every year millions of marine animals make it their home.

Sadly, like on many beaches in Scotland, nurdles are washing up on the Forth's unique coast line in worryingly large numbers.

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A UNIQUE

ENVIRONMENT

AT RISK FROM

PLASTIC

AT RISK FROM

TOXINS

THREATENING

WILDLIFE AND FISHING

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A rich assortment of habitats means the Forth is an ideal home for millions of animals each year. A large plastic industry around the Forth means it is particularly vulnerable to nurdle pollution. Levels of some harmful chemicals are very high in the Forth. Plastics can attract and concentrate these pollutants to toxic levels.  Post mortems of gulls, fulmars, terns and puffins have found nurdles in their stomachs.
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