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Wales Online
02-07-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
People who drink tap water warned as 'dangerous' substance found
People who drink tap water warned as 'dangerous' substance found The warning comes as 60,000 people have been told they can't drink tap water for the rest of the year - and the warning is about to spread across Europe 60,000 residents of Alsace, eastern France, have been told by the local government that it had found dangerously high levels of PFAs A French region has issued a tap water ban, sparking concerns that it could serve as a "warning" for the rest of Europe. The local government in Alsace, eastern France, has alerted its 60,000 residents about dangerously high levels of PFAs – also known as 'forever chemicals' – detected in the water supply. Those considered to be in high-risk groups – including children under two, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant women – have been advised to avoid consuming tap water for the remainder of the year. One local resident expressed their fears to the Guardian: "I find it scary. Even if we stop drinking it we will be exposed to it and we can't really do anything." For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Séverine Maistre, a resident of Saint-Louis who previously worked in clinical drug trials, believes this is just the beginning. "Currently we are talking about peaks here and there ... [But the chemicals] will be everywhere in France." "It will be the same in Germany, in Switzerland, in the UK, and everywhere." A 70 year old woman added: "Even if we are not fragile we are scared. We are terrorised – this is about water, without which we cannot live." Article continues below The Euro-Airport Basel-Mulhouse has been identified as the source of the significant increase in PFAs levels. According to a press release, the airport used firefighting foam treated with PFAS chemicals until 2017, Birmingham Live reports. These Icao (International Civil Aviation Organisation) certified firefighting foams were legally required until 2017. Since January 2017, the airport has ceased using foams containing PFAS. Thierry Litzler, vice-president of Saint-Louis urban area with responsibility for water in the district, said: "Things went quickly from the moment we had the information." He commented: "To know why a state service did do – or did not do – more than eight years ago, for me, it's not the subject of the moment ... I do not have the right to judge it today. "In France, we had faith in water – but that's broken," expressed Bruno Wollenschneider, head of Adra (Association de Défense des Riverains de l'Aéroport de Bâle Mulhouse), a residents' association with 200 members. "Authorities lied to us, they tricked us," he declared, adding: "The airport is responsible. "Water is a public good. The last thing is the law to force the authorities to act and make the airport pay – we don't have the choice. Article continues below "It is the first time in France where a commercial airport is known to be the cause of pollution. There are likely others," Wollenschneider revealed.
Mint
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Air India crash: How is the Indian probe going?
Every aircraft is fitted with a 'black box", a device that tracks key attributes of a flight. The black boxes mounted on board commercial flights comprise two devices. The first is the flight data recorder, or FDR, which records these attributes or 'parameters", including a flight's time and altitude for the total duration of a journey. The second is the cockpit voice recorder, or CVR. It records all sounds made in the cockpit, including what the pilots and the flight crew say, besides sounds made by equipment. The black boxes store their data in memory chips and can withstand extreme heat and water depths. Also read | Hormuz heat rises: Can India weather an oil shock? India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), reporting to the ministry of civil aviation, has started a preliminary investigation of the crash, led by the director general. The AAIB team recovered the flight's first black box set on 13 June, and the other set on 16 June. The AAIB has gathered all evidence, including debris from the crash. Now, it will draft technical reports, piecing together what led to the crash, based on all the evidence, including evidence from the black box. A final report must be accepted by the DG of civil aviation and then made public on the AAIB website. Also read | What global central banks are signalling about the road ahead Some news outlets reported that India was planning to send the black boxes to the US for further analysis, suggesting that Indian facilities were unable to retrieve all the data from the devices. Civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu denied the claim. In April, Naidu had inaugurated a brand new 'Black Box Lab" in New Delhi, a state-of-the-art facility that cost ₹9 crore. Also read | There is no timeline and minister Naidu told reporters the technical process will take its due course. The AAIB is yet to decide where the black boxes should be taken for data retrieval, the civil aviation ministry said last week. However, a high-level committee under the home secretary has promised to produce a report in three months, recommending long-term reforms to improve aviation safety in India. The Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 say a final report should be submitted to all concerned parties. Also read | US GDP contracts 0.3% in Q1—why the IMF still sees no recession Not exactly. The International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) says a preliminary report should be submitted to it within 30 days of a crash. AAIB rules have no such deadline. India is an Icao signatory. Aviation safety expert Amit Singh said international rules mandate an independent chief investigator or judicial inquiry for a serious air accident. Instead, the Centre has appointed a high-level panel. Final air crash reports are tabled and made public as per Icao standards in Annex 13, but experts say Indian authorities often breach them.
