The European Parliament voted to pause parts of the EU's wastewater cleanup law, fearing that making drugmakers pay for micropollutant removal could lead to medicine shortages. Lawmakers approved suspending industry's obligation to pay for removing pollutants like antibiotics and microplastics, pending a new study on costs and sector blame.
Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant halted its 20th discharge of treated wastewater after an alarm sounded during the process. Tokyo Electric Power Company is investigating the cause, noting this is the sixth interruption since discharges began in August 2023.
A blocked main caused a wastewater overflow in Island Bay, Wellington, affecting 5 properties with faeces and sanitary products, prompting cleanup efforts by Wellington Water.
An estimated 80% of cigarettes and vapes consumed in Australia last year were illegal, according to the Bureau of Statistics. Nicotine consumption rose 40% while legal spending fell, with high excise taxes blamed for fueling a black market that costs the government billions.
The mayor of Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule, France, has publicly drunk treated wastewater from the town's purification plant, which uses ozone to destroy micropollutants. This initiative highlights the lack of legislation in France regarding the removal of PFAS and other pollutants from wastewater before it is released into natural water bodies.
Wellington's mayor announced a temporary fix for the city's sewage plant by November, with full repairs costing NZ$53.5m by late 2027. Businesses and residents express concern over health risks and financial losses.
Wastewater from nearly 40,000 people and businesses pumped straight into sea as island still has no treatment plantRaw sewage from nearly 40,000 people and businesses is being pumped straight into the sea because the British overseas territory of Gibraltar does not have, and has never had, a wastewater treatment plant.For decades, untreated sewage has poured into the Mediterranean from the southern tip of the peninsula at Europa Point, where the government of Gibraltar says there are “high levels of natural dispersion”. Continue reading...
Poliovirus has been detected in a sample taken from a wastewater in Perth, the Health Department reveals.
Poliovirus has been detected in a sample taken from a wastewater in Perth, the Health Department reveals.
At first glance, these findings sound alarming, but before we draw big conclusions about worsening drug use, it's worth taking a closer look at what this data can and can't tell us.
At first glance, these findings sound alarming, but before we draw big conclusions about worsening drug use, it's worth taking a closer look at what this data can and can't tell us.
