Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers

Read the passage and select ALL correct options. Wrong selections lose points.

Volunteer river cleanups have multiplied over the past decade, drawing local residents who spend a Saturday morning wading through shallows to remove tyres, bottles, and shopping trolleys. Organisers report that plastic packaging now makes up the largest single category of debris collected, overtaking metal scrap, which dominated cleanups a generation ago. Scientists caution that visible litter removal, while valuable for public awareness, does little to address dissolved chemical pollutants or microplastics already suspended in the water column. Some cleanup groups have begun partnering with local laboratories to test water samples before and after events, giving volunteers a clearer picture of impact beyond the bags of rubbish collected. Funding for these tests, however, remains inconsistent and depends heavily on small grants.