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Independent journalism on water, public health and the environment

WATERSHED partners with national and international media to run high impact investigations covering all issues affecting the freshwater and marine environment.

Bloodletting in Jersey & 3M’s culpability

Bloodletting in Jersey & 3M’s culpability

Newley uncovered documents reveal the chemical giant, 3M, mislead the public and buyers about the dangers of their firefighting foams. Also, residents on the island of Jersey have been recommended bloodletting to reduce levels in their blood, after 3M’s firefighting foams contaminated water supplies. Click on the links below to read the full articles.

CHEMICALS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POLLUTION WATER RESOURCES
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• The Guardian • The Guardian
Drinking waters & farmlands contaminated with PFAS

Drinking waters & farmlands contaminated with PFAS

The water industry calls for PFAS ban after analysis reveals contamination across the country. Also levels of ‘forever chemicals’ found in sludge to be spread on farmland, which is not considered safe for allotments. Click on the links below to read the full articles.

CHEMICALS FRESHWATER LAND USE POLLUTION
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• The Guardian • The Guardian
The Guardian Editorial: the UK can’t ignore the risks from PFAS

The Guardian Editorial: the UK can’t ignore the risks from PFAS

The Guardian’s editorial on ‘forever chemicals’, for the first time explicitly states the papers views on the issue, saying UK politicians must not ignore this pollution problem, nor allow business as usual. Click on the link below to read the full article.

CHEMICALS OTHER STORIES POLLUTION
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• The Guardian
Top toxic hotspots in the UK

Top toxic hotspots in the UK

RAF bases are hotspots of toxic “forever chemical” pollution in UK waters, Ministry of Defence documents reveal. Communities, military personnel and their family could have been highly exposed. We also show the UK’s top toxic hotspots and what actions are being taken. Click on the links below to read the full articles.

CHEMICALS POLLUTION
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• The Guardian • The Guardian
The Forever Lobbying Papers

The Forever Lobbying Papers

The Forever Lobbying Project exposes the lobbying and disinformation campaign orchestrated by the chemical and plastic lobbies to prevent the ban of these “forever chemicals” in the European Union. Working with experts, the project calculated the cost of decontaminating Europe if nothing is done to combat PFAS emissions. Click on the links below to read the […]

CHEMICALS CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY POLLUTION
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• The Guardian • The Guardian • Forever Lobbying Project
Bathing sites polluted by drugs, chemicals, pathogens and ‘superbug genes’

Bathing sites polluted by drugs, chemicals, pathogens and ‘superbug genes’

Bathing waters across the UK are awash with pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, harmful bacteria and superbug genes, Watershed has uncovered.

CHEMICALS FRESHWATER POLLUTION PUBLIC HEALTH
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• THE TIMES • ITV NEWS • THE i PAPER • EAST ANGLIAN TIMES • YORKSHIRE BYLINES • ILKLEY GAZETTE
Plastic recycling’s dirty secrets

Plastic recycling’s dirty secrets

Plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries for recycling are on the rise at over four million tonnes annually, mostly from ten high-income countries. Watershed visits Malaysia to investigate the impacts on the ground.

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY DOCUMENTARY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PLASTICS POLLUTION
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• BBC Radio • BBC TV • BBC podcasts • BBC Rare Earth • The Climate Question • BBC's From Our Own Correspondent
Watershed PFAS investigation generates two academic papers

Watershed PFAS investigation generates two academic papers

Watershed's work exposing PFAS pollution in the river Wyre has generated two important academic papers.

CHEMICALS OTHER STORIES POLLUTION SCIENTIFIC PAPERS
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• CHEMOSPHERE • CHEMRxiv
Sri Lanka to probe ‘corruption’ in handling of 2021 cargo ship disaster

Sri Lanka to probe ‘corruption’ in handling of 2021 cargo ship disaster

Sri Lanka’s new government will launch a fresh investigation into the handling of the MV X-Press Pearl cargo ship disaster that devastated marine life along swaths of the island nation’s coastline three years ago, a senior minister has told Al Jazeera.

CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE OCEANS POLLUTION
PUBLISHED IN:
LINKS:
• AL JAZEERA

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