Enviro Health

'Erin Brockovich II' in Durban South?
High levels of the toxic chemical chromium-6 - the villain in the movie 'Erin Brockovich' - have been found in the groundwater and soil of residential Merebank, Durban.

Are public pools unhealthy?
Swimming, which strengthens the body while the water protects against injury, is often prescribed as physical therapy after injury or illness. But how hygienic are public pools?

A history of the toilet
Today many people use the flush toilet without giving it a second thought. But where does it come from? What did people do before then?

Not a drop to drink
Every second, there’s less available per person. How fair is your share?

My tap water tastes funny
Water affairs assures us our tap water is excellent and stringently tested, so why does it sometimes look cloudy or brownish, or taste or smell peculiar?

Water hazards
If you have a swimming pool, you probably take precautions to protect your children from drowning. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says children are at risk - even in homes without pools - because it only takes 4cm of water to pose a danger.

Should water be drunk during or outside meals?
An erroneous preconception must be dispelled: drinking only outside meals incurs the risk of drinking insufficient water during the day.

Dead in the water
The environmental disaster at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve, which caused thousands of fish to die, should act as a wake-up call to the nation: we’re killing our waterways.

The Big Squat
Today is World Toilet Day, and it's no joke. Imagine this: you are stricken with acute, severe diarrhoea in a public place. The catch: there is no toilet. Where would you go?