Withyhedge incident management team stood down as 'situation improves'
The landfill closed temporarily in May last year, reopening on January 6 when all compliance required by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) was said to be complete.
An update from NRW this week said that the IMT has now been stood down as there are 'far fewer reports of odours' and pollution levels remain below the limits set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This combination of factors shows that the 'situation has moved beyond incident response' says NRW.
A dedicated system set up to report odour and gas from the Withyhedge site has also been decommissioned. However, residents can still report via NRW's online incident form or by calling 0300 065 3000.
Independent air quality monitoring in the area will continue for the next year, funded by landfill operator RML. Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) said that it will verify the results to ensure transparency.
The static monitor at Spittal School will also remain until April 2026, with weekly results being provided to PCC and data collected compared with WHO guidelines. However Public Health Wales (PHW) will no longer review this data on a regular basis.
PHW says that the data from Spittal School between January 26 and March 30 showed 13 occasions when hydrogen sulphide concentrations in the air were above the WHO odour annoyance guideline value. However, all 13 occasions were on the same day and there had been no exceedances for the seven weeks to the end of March.
Other air monitoring in the area has not recorded any occasions when hydrogen sulphide concentrations in the air were above the WHO odour level.
Air monitoring undertaken using diffusion tubes has also not identified levels of hydrogen sulphide above longer-term guideline which is based on lifetime exposure.
'We are reassured that the air monitoring data has not shown evidence of an ongoing, long-term risk to the health of the community,' said PHW. 'As a result of this evidence, coupled with the significantly lower number of complaints received by partners, PHW will no longer review the data on a regular basis.'
NWR has said that it will continue to monitor the landfill site with unannounced inspections to assess compliance against the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) Permit. Its investigation into issues identified at the peak of the odour incident continues.
RML has also applied for a variation to their permit. NRW said that a public consultation will take place as part of this.
All members of the former incident management team have said that they will monitor communications they receive regarding Withyhedge Landfill and share between organisations if appropriate.
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North Wales Live
2 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Health experts issue advice as thousands left without water in 'significant incident'
Health experts have issued advice to residents caught up in ongoing water supply issues in Flintshire. It comes after water tankers were positioned at two hospitals affected by what Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is calling a 'significant incident'. Thousands of homes have been left with little or no water since last night after temporary repairs failed on a burst pipe in Broughton. This morning the Riverlink donkey and pony sanctuary in Mancot, Deeside, issued an 'urgent' plea for help after running out of water. Three bottled water stations are now in operation (see details below). Public Health Wales said that, in most cases, this water is safe to drink, cook and wash with. You can get all the latest on this incident here. But it is advising some customers to take extra care both during the outage and when supplies are restored. The NHS recommends bottled water is not used for making formula feed for babies. This is particularly the case for bottled water bought from shops and not supplied free by water companies. A PHW spokesperson said: 'It's not sterile and may contain too much salt or sulphate. If you need to prepare baby formula milk, the water provided is safe to use once it has been boiled and cooled. 'Bottled water should be boiled, covered and left to cool for up to half an hour. Or, use ready-made formula milk.' Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone When supplies start coming back on stream, it may initially be discoloured. PHW said affected customers may have to boil their tap water. If this is the advice issued by Dŵr Cymru, only boiled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth and preparing food. PHW said: 'Un-boiled water may be used to prepare food that will be cooked or if the water is boiled during cooking. Use a kettle, rather than pots and pans, to boil water. Never drink water from the hot tap.' If there's not enough water to flush the toilet, PHW recommends saving the water normally used for cooking and washing up, for flushing instead. Other sources of water, such as garden water butts, can also be used for flushing. In social media posts, the health body stressed: 'Please continue to drink water as you normally would to avoid the risks of dehydration, and continue to wash your hands after using the toilet and before preparing food.' The problem originated a week ago (Thursday, August 7) when a burst mains caused a partial road collapse on the Parc Jasmin Estate. Some residents also suffered flooding outside their homes. Once a temporary fix had been applied, the pipe network was refilled on Saturday (August 9) in a process that continued overnight. Customers were left with supply issues during the refill and some have complained of problems ever since. Some 17 communities in north Flintshire have now been affected, plus 'areas surrounding Deeside'. The communities are: Flint, Holywell, Ffynnongroyw, Greenfield, Llanerch y Mor, Mostyn, Oakenholt, Talacre, Whitford, Aston, Queensferry, Hawarden, Ewloe, Mancot, Garden City, Shotton and Northop. Dŵr Cymru's chief executive Peter Perry has today apologised, saying he was 'truly sorry for the inconvenience'. Three bottled water stations have now been set up in the following locations: Jade Jones Pavilion Leisure Centre, Flint, CH6 5ER Shotwick Park & Ride Car Park, Drome Road, Deeside Industrial Park, CH5 2NY Mold County Hall car park, Mold CH7 6NF Dŵr Cymru said the temporary repair was applied as a permenant fix was complicated and would take some time. This allowed customers to get back on supply as quickly as possible at a time when several service reservoirs are experiencing 'lower levels of storage'. A spokesperson said: 'Unfortunately, the temporary repair has not held and so we have to act quickly to carry out an emergency repair before full storage could be restored. 'This is complex due to the pipe being located five metres underground and close to underground electric cables and other services, which requires extra care.' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Communities and individuals have been quick to offer help to vulnerable customers affected by water shortages. Betsi Cadwaladr, the health board for North Wales, has said its hospitals in Deeside and Holywell are also impacted. Water tankers have been brought in and no disruptions have been experienced so far. The health board said: 'We are advising people who are attending appointments at Holywell and Deeside community hospitals to attend your appointments unless contacted otherwise.'
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Making steps count: how many you really need for different health benefits
This statement might sound ridiculous, but walking is in vogue right now; not as a means of getting from A to B, but as a vehicle for improving your health. As a fitness writer and coach, I'm happy this is the case. Almost one in three people are failing to meet the World Health Organisation's (WHO) physical activity guidelines, according to a large-scale study published in The Lancet last year. Walking is one of the most effective ways to combat this. 'In the past, researchers and clinicians have described walking as 'the perfect exercise', and based on the body of evidence that has accumulated over the past few years, this is now truer than ever before,' says Dr Elroy Aguiar, an associate professor of exercise science at The University of Alabama. 'It is easy to perform, has a low barrier to entry and can elicit the full range of intensity from light to moderate and vigorous by simply adjusting your pace.' But how much do you need to walk to benefit your health? Previous studies have focused heavily on the number of steps required to reduce all-cause mortality. But, while this is a desirable outcome, it isn't the most relatable metric – few people are scribbling 'reduce all-cause mortality' among their fitness goals. Another study, also published in The Lancet, recognised this, so researchers set out to 'synthesise the prospective dose-response relationship between daily steps and health outcomes including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive outcomes, mental health outcomes, physical function and falls'. In layman's terms: how many daily steps are needed to see benefits in each of these areas? Here are the results, and how you can apply these findings to improve your health. The latest research suggests that walking 7,000 steps per day can significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depressive symptoms and falls. All movement counts towards improved health, with a separate study finding 'as few as about 2,600 and about 2,800 steps per day yield significant mortality and cardiovascular disease benefits, respectively'. The optimal combination [of weekly movement] comes from maintaining a solid baseline level of step-related movement plus a brief amount [21 minutes or more] of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day,' Aguiar says. This includes two full-body muscle-strengthening sessions each week, as per the WHO guidelines. How many steps do you need to take per day to improve your health? Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll be familiar with walking 10,000 steps per day as a fitness goal. You will also likely know by now that this figure originated from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer called the 'manpo kei' – roughly translated as '10,000 steps metre'. The number 10,000 is satisfyingly round and easily marketable, but it has no solid scientific basis. However, its adoption as a default daily goal by many popular fitness trackers saw it become an unofficial holy grail for health in some circles. In 2023, a study by the University of Granada challenged this notion, finding that the number of steps you need to take per day 'to significantly reduce the risk of premature death' is 8,000, while 'if we focus on the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps'. The latest research in The Lancet – a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing scientific literature – aimed to identify how many daily steps are needed to achieve a broader range of health outcomes. Despite its wider scope, it settled on a similar conclusion. 'For all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, dementia and falls, an inverse non-linear dose-response association was found, with inflection points at around 5,000-7,000 steps per day,' it states. In other words: the more steps you take, the less likely you are to fall foul of these outcomes. This still applies when walking more than 5,000-7,000 steps per day, but there are diminishing returns. 'An inverse linear association was found for cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer incidence, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes incidence and depressive symptoms,' the report continues. It found that, compared with walking 2,000 steps per day, 7,000 steps per day was associated with: 47 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality. 25 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease incidence. 47 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. 6 per cent lower risk of cancer incidence. 37 per cent lower risk of cancer mortality. 14 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes. 38 per cent lower risk of dementia. 22 per cent lower risk of depressive symptoms. 28 per cent lower risk of falls. Researchers concluded: 'Although 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7,000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some.' But, they add, the study should be interpreted 'in light of its limitations'; the small number of studies available for most outcomes, a lack of age-specific analysis and biases at the individual study level. Can you build fitness from walking alone? Walking has previously been dismissed by some as lacking the intensity needed to generate tangible health benefits for the masses. But this latest research shows it to be 'meaningful movement that can improve a wide range of health outcomes', says Aguiar. This is particularly true for those currently leading a sedentary lifestyle – the move from zero exercise to even a small amount of consistent exercise will likely have a dramatic effect. But is walking alone enough to represent a comprehensive fitness plan? The WHO's physical activity guidelines, mirrored by the NHS, recommend adults do 'at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination of the two'. The NHS also says adults should aim to 'do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms – at least two days a week'. Moderate-intensity exercise is any activity that raises your heart rate and quickens your breathing, but isn't so intense that you can't hold a conversation – in the context of walking, this has been equated to a brisk pace, or a cadence of around 110 steps per minute. As an experiment, I went for a 30-minute walk under these conditions and racked up a little over 3,000 steps. If I did this daily, I would surpass the WHO's weekly physical activity guidelines and could potentially hit The Lancet review's suggested target of 7,000 steps per day, when incidental daily movement was considered. But ideally, there would also be some form of formal exercise in my weekly routine, Aguiar tells me. 'To meet physical activity guidelines, you need to perform about 21 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – roughly 1.5 per cent of the day,' he explains. 'But what about the remaining 98.5 per cent, or 23.6 hours, in the day? Is it OK to do 21 minutes of exercise, then sit or sleep for the remainder? 'While the evidence is not clear on this just yet, it's reasonable to say that we need to be moving throughout the day and avoiding prolonged sedentary time, which is independently known to be harmful.' He describes walking as 'the base of the physical activity pyramid'. Formal exercise is the tip of the iceberg, while walking accounts for most of your wider daily movement. 'The optimal combination comes from maintaining a solid baseline level of step-related movement plus a brief amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day,' Aguiar adds. 'It is likely that future iterations of physical activity guidelines by the WHO and individual countries will feature a steps per day target. Importantly, a daily target should not be viewed as a replacement for the current guidelines, but rather it should be viewed as complementary, so it's a both/and scenario.' How to set a suitable daily step goal If you can fit a 30-minute walk into each day, excellent. If you can do two full-body strength training sessions per week on top of this, even better. And if you can gradually introduce some added intensity into a few of your weekly workouts, be that through running, swimming, cycling, HIIT or any other means, you're well on your way to a comprehensive exercise plan. But this isn't always an option. One possible reason why a growing number of people are insufficiently active is that 21st-century living is rather busy. If you struggle to include movement in your day, 7,000 steps is likely to sound like a metaphorical mountain to climb. But, to quote the WHO, 'all physical activity counts', and any extra exercise you can squeeze into your week will still have a positive effect on your health. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that 'as few as about 2,600 and about 2,800 steps per day yield significant mortality and cardiovascular disease benefits, with progressive risk reductions up to about 8,800 and about 7,200 steps per day, respectively'. In short, more movement is better, but a little can still have an impressive positive impact on your health. To reap the benefits of bite-sized exercise options, try the two tips below: Exercise 'snacking': The stereotypical workout lasts an hour, but given all movement matters for your health, it makes sense to squeeze some exercise in whenever you can – especially if you have a hectic schedule. This is called exercise snacking, and it could be anything from stretching at your desk to doing a few squats while brushing your teeth – our handy exercise 'snacking' guide can help you get started. If you want to up your daily step count, you can implement this by parking slightly further away from the supermarket, getting off the bus slightly before your usual stop or swapping the escalator for the stairs where possible. You can also inject some more intensity into your walks by upping the pace, as research has linked a higher walking cadence (the number of steps taken per minute) with improved health benefits – there is more on this and other ways to increase the health benefits of your walk at the link below. Set achievable goals: People tend to set lofty fitness goals, then lose motivation when they fall short. For example, aiming to walk 7,000 steps per day when they currently average 2,000, or going from zero weekly workouts to five. Instead, start small and work your way up – the feel-good hit of achieving these manageable goals can be a powerful stimulus for sticking with an exercise plan. In the case of walking, take a look at your current average daily steps per day via the health app on your phone or a fitness tracker. Divide it by 10, then add that figure to your average and try to hit this slightly higher target each day for the next couple of weeks. When this starts to feel easy, repeat the process, slowly taking yourself towards 7,000 steps per day. Why is walking 'the perfect exercise'? Walking is brilliant, but it's by no means magic. I would just as readily recommend other forms of exercise – strength training being premier among them, thanks to its body-strengthening benefits – to those able to access them. The problem is, for various reasons, from physical limitations to opportunity, many people are unable to access other forms of exercise. Walking is one of the easiest, most accessible ways people can improve the amount they move and enjoy the many health benefits of doing so, making it a great way to supplement your weekly exercise plans. But if you swap your walk for a cycle and fall short of your daily step goal as a result, this isn't something to get hung up on. Your body has still enjoyed a workout, and your heart and lungs are likely to enjoy a similar stimulus from the two activities – all movement counts. The trick is to find an individualised approach that makes you feel good and allows consistent movement to become a habitual part of your life.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say
The climate crisis is driving a sharp rise in dengue fever cases across the Pacific islands, experts say, as infections hit their highest level in a decade and several countries declare emergencies. Pacific Island countries and territories have reported 16,502 confirmed cases and 17 deaths since the start of 2025, according to the Pacific Syndromic Surveillance System (PSSS), which collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies. Infections across the region are at the highest level since 2016, the WHO said. Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are among the worst affected. Dr Paula Vivili, deputy director general of the Pacific Community (SPC), said historically dengue outbreaks were seasonal. 'However, due to climate change, transmission seasons are lengthening, and some areas are experiencing year-round dengue risk,' Vivili said. Dengue fever, a viral illness spread by Aedes mosquitoes, causes high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, rash, and in severe cases can be fatal. Rising temperatures, rainfall and increased humidity are creating ideal breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes, even in areas previously unsuitable for transmission. 'Dengue is one of the first real disease-related phenomena that we can lay at the foot of climate change,' said Dr Joel Kaufman, epidemiologist and director of the Center for Exposures, Diseases, Genomics and Environment at the University of Washington. 'Rainfall raises the waterline over mosquito eggs laid just above the surface, which then hatch – that's part of the natural breeding cycle. Heavy rains can also increase stagnant water sources, creating more opportunities for mosquitoes to breed,' he said. Kaufman warned these outbreaks pointed to a wider public health challenge. 'It is in the vanguard of what will certainly be many types of human disease that become more common and more serious as the planet warms.' Since declaring an outbreak in April, Samoa has confirmed six dengue-related deaths, including two siblings, and more than 5,600 cases. This year Fiji has recorded eight deaths and 10,969 cases. Tonga has reported over 800 cases and three deaths since declaring an outbreak in February. These outbreaks underscore the region's vulnerability to climate-sensitive diseases, which are expected to intensify as global temperatures rise. Pacific Island countries produce just 0.03% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), but face some of the most severe climate-related health threats, including vector-borne diseases. Recent months have brought extreme rainfall to parts of the Pacific including Palau, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, while severe drought has gripped parts of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and Fiji, according to the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). Forecasts show these contrasts will continue into October. Although higher rainfall has been attributed to ideal conditions for mosquito breeding, Kaufman said that extreme weather events can also increase transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Seriously dry or very dry conditions were recorded across large parts of the Pacific in the first half of the year, according to NIWA. 'We might have thought the dryness would reduce mosquito-borne infections, but it seems that's not what happens,' Kaufman said. 'Instead, there's an acceleration of transmission.'Across the Pacific, national responses have varied. Samoa, Cook Islands and American Samoa have declared emergencies. The Cook Islands has conducted island-wide clean-ups, intensified surveillance and targeted spraying. Tonga has worked with the WHO to bolster its outbreak response in its worst-hit islands, while Tuvalu has turned to social media and health campaigns to promote preventive measures. Samoa has held school clean-ups and boosted public health messaging. New Zealand has sent a clinical team and NZ$300,000 ($178,000) worth of medical supplies to Samoa, alongside on-the-ground personnel and ongoing coordination with Samoan health officials. But experts say these measures are being undermined by inadequate surveillance. 'Current disease surveillance systems are rarely sufficient to manage dengue, as evidenced by the continual growth of dengue in the region, and more generally globally,' said Dr Bobby Reiner, disease ecologist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Mosquito control tools are methods used to reduce the population of Aedes mosquitoes that spread dengue, such as removing breeding sites, applying larvicides or spraying insecticides. They can also include biological controls, personal protection measures and community clean-up campaigns to prevent mosquito bites and transmission. Still, Reiner said many mosquito control tools had never been proven to reduce transmission, with most responses reactive and often 'wastefully chasing the outbreak, applying effort too late'.
