5 h. ago ‘A timebomb’: could a French mine full of waste poison the drinking water of millions?

Scientists fear thousands of tonnes of chemicals dumped in mining tunnels in Alsace may seep into an aquifer, with devastating consequences for people and wildlifeEight police officers linger with their backs to the two-hectare (five-acre) site known as Stocamine. The place is nondescript in the morning drizzle: two mine shafts, some modern-looking office buildings, a staff car park, lines of landscaped trees. The reason for the police presence, however, is what lies beneath: 42,000 tonnes of toxic waste stored under our feet.Stocamine, which lies in the old industrial town of Wittelsheim, Alsace, once held an old potash mine. Now, the mine shafts are closed, storing poisonous waste from elsewhere. Above the mine shafts is one of Europe’s largest aquifers. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago 'Perfect' Stanley water bottle that keeps drinks cold 'for hours' now 42% off in deal stack

Shoppers have praised the Stanley AeroLight IceFlow water bottle for being slimline and lightweight and there's a way to make a chunky saving on its usual price

Economics

3 d. ago Doctor's warning as man suffers terrifying poisoning death after drinking from popular type of water bottle

Medics have warned people with a popular type of water bottle to avoid this key mistake following the death of a Taiwanese man who started experiencing health problems a year before seeking help.

Events

4 d. ago Poison in the water: the town with the world’s worst case of forever chemicals contamination

When a small Swedish town discovered their drinking water contained extremely high levels of Pfas, they had no idea what it would mean for their health and their children’s futureIf Agneta Bruno closes her eyes, the soapy smell takes her back to childhood. Cycling home to the barracks where she lived with her father, an air force major, she would whiz through patches of snowy-white foam near the entrance of the base. The foam resembled the bubbles you get in the bathtub, just thicker. “I had to lift my feet up to avoid getting wet,” Bruno told me.Aqueous film-forming foam (Afff) is a miracle of firefighting: it’s highly effective in putting out flammable liquid fires, such as those caused by jet fuel spills. Chemicals in the foam create a stable blanket over liquid fuel, trapping the flammable vapours and extinguishing the fire. At the air force base in Bruno’s home town of Kallinge in Sweden, firefighters were trained to douse flames using the foam. New recruits came every few week...

Politics

6 d. ago 'Natural sedative' drink can boost your sleep and reduce inflammation

Dr Eric Berg has explained why you should drink water with cloves every night and discussed its health benefits

Politics

8 d. ago Electrolyte sachets are everywhere – but will they cure a festival hangover?

Marketed to ‘party people’ and touted as a faster route to hydration than water, electrolytes are in the middle of a boomThe tickets are bought, the line-ups have been announced and it’s nearly time to drag last year’s tent out of the cupboard for a wipedown – and to evict a few dead earwigs. And this summer, there’s one more festival accessory that partygoers won’t be travelling without: electrolyte tablets.Touted as a faster route to rehydration than water, and a way to replace vital salts lost during heavy drinking and partying, the focus on festivals is the latest twist in a global boom for electrolytes, as everyone from triathletes to YouTubers sings the praises of these super-hydrating mineral supplements. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago From tradwife to radwife: abandoning perfection in favour of the ‘good enough’ life

No they don’t cook from scratch, sometimes forget the sunscreen and often miss work deadlines, but at least their kids are wearing secondhand clothes Meet the new gen of radically normal mumsMost mornings, I’m woken at 6am by my alarm (the baby crawling on to my head). I stretch, go downstairs, fill a bowl with iced water and, the theme of Transformers playing in the background, write my journal (a list of emails-I-forgot-to-reply-to). I drink hot water with cider vinegar to regulate my blood sugar levels, followed by tea using the baby’s leftover milk. Dragging a chilled jade gua sha spoon across my face in an attempt to reverse the ageing process, I then make my young sons’ porridge. While they eat, I plunge my face into the iced water until I can’t breathe, and begin my three-step routine (two La Roche-Posay serums followed by SPF). Some mornings, I run. Others, I cry into a coffee, albeit one made with organic milk, before taking a mushroom gummy to take the edge off the da...

Politics

9 d. ago Doctor explains health risk of drinking too much water that can be dangerous

A doctor has taken to TikTok to explain why some people may find that the more water they drink, the thirstier they become - and it could be a dangerous cycle to get into

Society

1 week ago Rep. Lauren Boebert seeking $5m in federal funds to remove ‘toxic black sludge’ from drinking water in tiny Colorado community

Congresswoman to ask House Appropriations Committee for money to relieve Prairie View Ranch Water District of ‘toxic black sludge’ – and could come to regret DOGE cheerleading

Economics

1 week ago Pitbull review – like a children’s party, but with loads of booze

Co-Op Live, ManchesterWith a hedonistic seize-the-day message, the pop-rapper resembles a cult leader or motivational speaker – and his followers are willing to overlook the faults in his live showPitbull is trying to give over 20,000 people a language lesson. “I want to teach you a little bit of Spanish,” he says to the crowd, about 90% of whom are dressed in Mr Worldwide cosplay of bald caps, aviators and squiggly hand-drawn facial hair. The phrase he’s teaching? “Yo no quiero agua, yo quiero bebida”, which in English translates to “I don’t want water, I want a drink”. As people used to say: yolo.This is the vibe of Pitbull’s Party After Dark tour, which returns to the UK for its second run this year. It’s a relentless ride through the era of hedonistic and carefree EDM pop that sprouted up after the 2008 financial crisis, and given renewed economic uncertainty and horrific global events, it’s unsurprising that people are still seeking escapism. Why shouldn’t that be delivered by ...

Society

2 w. ago If Trump cuts funding to NPR and PBS, rural America will pay a devastating price

Much of the country has little access to local news, with public media filling the void – and serving as a lifelineWhen Hurricane Helene walloped North Carolina last fall, residents were hit by a second threat at the same time: the dire need for accurate information.The loss of electric power amid the widespread flooding meant that people – especially those in isolated areas – were deprived of basic news. They needed to know about everything from road closures to the whereabouts of their family and friends to sources of drinkable water.Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago ‘Tastes like water’: how a US facility is recycling sewage to drink

A California project can turn sewage into drinking water in less than 45 minutes and could be a blueprint for other water-scarce regionsAs the pumps whir around us, Denis Bilodeau motions to the liquid in the vats below. It looks like iced tea, but in fact it’s secondary treated sewage, cleaned of any solids by the plant next door. In less than an hour, and after three steps of processing, we will be drinking it – as pure water.The Groundwater Replenishment System facility in Orange County, California, houses the pipes, filters and pumps to move up to 130m gallons each day – enough for 1 million people – processing it from dark to clear. The facility, which opened in 2008, is part of broader moves to help conserve water. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Cockatoos start sipping from Sydney’s drinking fountains after mastering series of complex moves

Experts think the clever birds learned the technique by watching people and then trying it themselvesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSulphur-crested cockatoos in Sydney have worked out how to operate drinking fountains, with footage showing the white birds gripping and turning the handle before leaning in for a sip.Researchers set up camera traps and recorded the birds taking turns at a drinking fountain in western Sydney. Scientists observed more than 500 attempts over 44 days and revealed the birds were successful about 46% of the time.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Are tampons safe? New study finds toxic pesticide levels 40 times higher than allowed in drinking water

Traces of glyphosate, a pesticide linked to cancer, has been identified at very high levels in tampons

Events

3 w. ago England's yellow and parched land: How soaring immigration and a 30

This week ministers admitted that the country could run out of drinking water within 10 years as they unveiled plans to fast-track the building of two new reservoirs.

Politics

3 w. ago Kids will develop 25.4 million more cavities if fluoride is banned nationwide, study finds

Fluoride has been used in public drinking water systems across the country since 1945

Events

3 w. ago Toxic pesticide levels in tampons 40 times higher than allowed in drinking water

About 300 pesticides are used in cotton production globally and roughly a third of these are toxic

Events

3 w. ago UK tampons found with pesticide levels 40 times higher than drinking water limits

Scientists have discovered dangerously high levels of a cancer-linked pesticide in UK tampons — tested at 40 times the safe limit for drinking water — raising urgent concerns over health risks

Politics

3 w. ago England could run out of drinking water within TEN YEARS as mass immigration fuels rapid population growth, warns minister

Emma Hardy said the country faces an 'infrastructure crisis' as she set out plans for the Government to seize take control of the planning process for two new reservoirs.

Events

3 w. ago England could run out of drinking water within TEN YEARS, warns minister

Emma Hardy said the country faces an 'infrastructure crisis' as she set out plans for the Government to seize take control of the planning process for two new reservoirs.

Events