@Coyote coincidence: oder river in germany also "contaminated" with something (rumored to be quicksilver stuff), killing fish. advice it so wash off immediately.
what grinds my gear is the "something" part. you really can just take a 1 liter sample and test for _almost everything_. heavy metals, organic compunds.. no problem. could be done in a day or two. "we don't know" is bullshit to give more time for damage control.