Introduction

A river can look pristine on the surface. But what lies beneath it can tell a very different story.

After paddling, kayaking and running 470 kilometres down the Hunter River, from source to sea, I wanted to understand what the water might reveal about the health of the river and the environments it connects.

Along the journey, I collected water samples that became part of a scientific investigation into microplastic pollution. What began as an adventure became an opportunity to contribute to a much bigger conversation about the health of our waterways.

In this extended interview, I sit down with environmental scientist Dr Thava Palanisami to explore the science behind the samples, what the research revealed, and what it might mean for the future of the Hunter River.

We discuss microplastics, the movement of pollution through our environment, the organisms living alongside these particles, and the challenges of understanding ecological risk in a world where even our most remote places are connected to the way we live.

This is the science behind the journey. And an invitation to look a little closer at the places we call home.

The Findings

What the samples revealed

The research, published in Science of the Total Environment, investigated microplastic contamination and associated microbial communities at five sites along the Hunter River.

47–229 particles/L

Microplastic concentrations ranged from 47 to 229 particles per litre across the five sampling sites.

120.8 particles/L

The study reported an average concentration of 120.8 particles per litre across the sampled sites.

58.6% were fibres

Fibres were the most common particle shape identified, followed by fragments.

High Ecological Risk

Omadale, Aberdeen and Wollombi were flagged at the highest level of the Polymer Risk Index, driven by higher-hazard polymers like PVC.

These findings offer a snapshot of microplastic contamination in the Hunter River. They also reveal why the story is more complicated than simply counting plastic particles: the types of polymers present, their distribution and their potential ecological effects all matter.

The study sampled five sites at a single point in time. It is an important contribution to our understanding of the river, but further monitoring is needed to understand how contamination changes across seasons, locations and conditions.

Read the open-access academic paper

From Adventure to Science

The value of looking closer

I didn't set out to conduct an academic study. I set out to experience a river, to understand it more intimately, and to explore our relationship with the natural world.

But collecting samples along the way created a connection between that personal journey and a much broader scientific investigation. This is where I see an opportunity for adventure-led environmental storytelling — bringing people into places, asking questions that matter, and creating pathways between lived experience, scientific research and public understanding.

There is a growing need not only to produce scientific knowledge, but to translate it into forms that people can engage with. Research papers are essential, but their findings can be difficult to access for those outside their field. Film, storytelling and public conversation can help bridge that gap.

Sometimes, a journey down a river can become a starting point for questions that reach far beyond its banks.

Acknowledgements

Thank You

This project would not have been possible without the generosity, expertise and collaboration of others.

My sincere thanks to Dr Thava Palanisami and the research team for their scientific expertise, their work analysing the samples, and their willingness to share the research and its implications with a wider audience.

Thank you to Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) for supporting the project and helping connect an independent adventure with a wider scientific investigation into environmental health.

I'm grateful to everyone who contributed their time, knowledge and support to bring Run River Run to life — from those who helped along the river to the people who helped turn the journey into a film.

And thank you to everyone who has watched, shared or taken an interest in the project. The more we pay attention to the places we depend on, the more opportunities we have to care for them.

What Comes Next?

Adventure meets science

Run River Run has strengthened my belief that some of the most compelling environmental stories emerge when exploration meets scientific inquiry.

What if we could take this approach to other rivers, coastlines, forests and wild places? What might we discover by combining human-powered adventure, environmental sampling, scientific collaboration and filmmaking?

I'm interested in developing a new series of adventure-meets-science films that bring important environmental research to wider audiences — connecting the experience of being in a place with the evidence that helps us understand it.

I'm keen to hear from researchers, universities, environmental organisations, aligned brands, funders and potential collaborators who share an interest in this approach.

The Science Beneath the Surface