More testing is needed in UK metal mine hotspots to see if there is a risk to public health, a leading expert says.

A Welsh Affairs Committee inquiry into the potential human health risks of pollution from abandoned metal mines in Wales takes place on Wednesday.

The north of Ceredigion is home to more than 400 of Wales’ 1,300 abandoned metal mines and its three rivers of the Ystwyth, Rheidol and the Clarach are some of the most heavily polluted in the UK.

The UK government said businesses must ensure the food they produce does not go beyond the maximum levels set by law.

A Welsh government spokesperson said it works with stakeholders to ascertain the nature and extent of metal mine pollution to identify ways to manage pollution.