Latest news with #eau
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
French region bans tap water sparking panic buying after supply was found to be tainted with 'forever chemicals' from airport firefighting foam
French officials have issued an unprecedented ban on drinking tap water following a shocking discovery that the supply is laced with toxic 'forever chemicals'. The sweeping ban affects 11 areas in the Haut-Rhin region near the commune of Saint-Louis, where water tests revealed levels of PFAS - a group of dangerous man-made substances - at up to four times the legal limit. The contamination has been traced back to firefighting foam used at the nearby Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport, which straddles the French-Swiss-German border. Authorities have confirmed the airport stopped using the PFAS-based foam in 2017, but the damage was already done and now the persistent chemicals are leaching into the local water system. In a joint statement, regional health officials and the local prefecture admitted that the toxic compounds - linked to a slew of health issues including infertility, immune disorders, developmental delays in children, and even cancer - are 'extremely difficult' to eliminate. The tap water ban is set to remain in place until at least the end of the year, while a €20million clean-up effort gets underway. As a result, vulnerable groups including pregnant women, nursing mothers, children under two, and people with autoimmune or chronic illnesses have been told not to drink the water. But locals say virtually everyone has now turned to bottled alternatives, with supermarkets reportedly running low as residents stockpile supplies. 'Blood tests on volunteers showed that the levels of PFAS contamination here are among the highest in France,' Bruno Wollenschneider, the head of a local residents' association, said. PFAS – or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are widely used in everything from fast-food packaging and waterproof clothing to non-stick frying pans. They are dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they do not break down in the environment or the human body. But it's not just eastern France that's in trouble. The west of the country is also battling a crisis, this time from agricultural fertilisers. Groundwater in the Loire-Atlantique département has been polluted by nitrates, prompting authorities to dilute it with water from the River Loire in a desperate bid to bring levels down. Mickaël Derangeon, vice-president of regional water supplier Atlantic'eau, admitted nitrate levels in some areas routinely exceed legal thresholds. Even when levels are just below the limit, 'scientific studies show that there is a risk to health,' he said. In the town of Machecoul-Saint-Même, tap water is now made up of 75 per cent river water and 25 per cent groundwater in an attempt to reduce the risk. But confidence is waning. 'I never drink tap water anymore,' said Daniel Coudart, a local pensioner. France has already been fined four times by the European Union for breaching drinking water standards, and fresh legal trouble may be on the way. The EU's top court is now investigating whether France has once again failed to comply with nitrate limits. Former environment minister Corinne Lepage said: 'France has been dealing with this problem for 30 years and it costs a fortune'.
Elle
26-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Elle
Summer's Top Perfume Trends Feature Elevated Vanillas, Juicy Fruits, and Feel-Good Nostalgia
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Sweltering, sticky heat. Sunscreen-stained sweat droplets. Summer, at its core, is more about the bigger picture—sun, fun, and adventures—than the smaller inconveniences that can easily ruin a day. Of course, there are workarounds: a strong, odor-blocking antiperspirant to keep passersby frowns away and sweat- and humidity-proof makeup for a matte, non-streaky finish. All that's missing from a perfect summer day is the flood of compliments and questions from strangers about what scent they've just caught a whiff of. No, it's not the deodorant (though we know a thing or two about the best-smelling ones), but the faint caress of crisp linen or damp botanicals or even juicy citruses leaving a trail in its wake. Summer requires scents that are 'light, fresh and cheerful, nothing too serious—fun and sun in a bottle,' says Bettina O'Neill, EVP of business development and merchandising at Scentbird, the monthly perfume discovery subscription service. Word of advice? Less is always more when it comes to picking the perfect scent layer, 'simply because fragrance intensifies as our body temperature rises, particularly when we perspire,' she adds. Instead of opting for a strong eau de parfum, O'Neill suggests stocking up on eau de toilettes or body mists, as they have a 'lighter concentration perfect for the intense summer heat, may contain only one to three percent of perfume oil, and can last up to two hours,' she says. 'The opposite is true for winter; extrait de parfums and eau de parfums last longer on the skin because of their higher concentration of perfume oil (15 to 40 percent).' Time to set aside those smoky ouds and candied vanillas of the fall and winter seasons—this summer's perfume trends embrace the youthfulness, intimacy, and nostalgia we all could use right now. Before you add anything to your cart, Scentbird's Bettina O'Neill and Jeniece Trizzino, VP of innovation and physical product at Scentbird, break down the season's hottest trends we're about to see, err, smell everywhere. We get it: gourmands in the summer can easily go awry due to their deep, heavier base notes. Toasty caramel, creamy hazelnut, and sugary vanilla warmed up under the sun can veer bakery-sweet than expected. However, Trizzino predicts a vanilla evolution this summer. Vanilla, 'once considered soft, sweet, and safe, is transformed into something bold, smoky, sensual, and complex. This is the evolution of sugary Y2K cupcake to dark, complex, and more sophisticated iterations. Think vanilla leaves, vanilla absolute paired with darker notes like black amber, leather, pink pepper, coriander,' she explains. A summer fruit salad is as refreshing as it is tasty—now imagine it compressed into a juice that's sweet, candied, and elegant for the heat and not at all the adolescent whiffs from our youth. 'Traditionally, fruity fragrances were often associated with youthful, overly sweet scents reminiscent of candy. But we are seeing a big evolution in the fruity category right now; this movement reflects a shift towards more natural, juicy, and sophisticated fruity scents, appealing to a broad spectrum of consumers,' Trizzino explains. While summery produce typically always swirls in coconut, Trizzino predicts a darker, sexier twist with this season's coveted fruity scents. 'These fruit notes are wrapped with elevated florals and rich, sensual woods,' she adds, listing pear, plum, cherry, passionfruit, and banana as unexpected notes to look out for. And, of course, we couldn't forget to mention summer 2025's main character ingredient, guava. Yes, although less is more for warm-weather-appropriate ingredients, musks can actually weather any season. Typically found in the base layer of a scent composition due to its staying power, musks are soft, skin-like notes that add depth to any fragrance. 'They tap into what people are craving emotionally and culturally right now—intimacy, softness, comfort, and authenticity. They've evolved from being just base notes to becoming the emotional heart of modern fragrance,' Trizzino explains. She notes that newer musk scents fall into two categories: Scented Softness: 'We're seeing a resurgence of powdery, slightly sweet, milky, creamy musk profile in perfumery. They feel hazy and velvety and slightly romantic and are comforting and craveable all at the same time.' New Clean: 'These musks are radiant, skin-like, modern, and transparent. They are less powdery and more warm skin-like, and strip musks from their stereotypical aldehydic qualities.' Trizzino shares that a popular note category leading this revival is 'fougere,' otherwise known as the green, herbaceous notes that beckon images of the damp forests and fresh plants, and will transform into genderless juices. 'Lavender, moss, and tonka fougere is being reclaimed as unisex and elegant, and brands will play with notes of iris, fig, tea, and suede to modernize the classic structure—basically fougeres with tenderness,' she explains. These greener, more universal notes help tone down the 'loud, sharp, spicy opening that we see in a lot of traditional '90s scents, and we'll see brand launch scents that shift toward more diffusive, atmospheric notes.' These airy notes fall under the Ozonic note family, which features zesty yuzu, 'airy citruses, and soft green florals—notes that mimic fresh air or rainfall,' Trizzino says. 'During challenging times, people seek comfort in the familiar. The classical revival trend aligns with a broader desire for stability and connection to the past,' Trizzino explains. Remember the Burberry Her fragrance you were gifted for a past birthday? This year introduced its intense counterpart, leaning into emotion and familiarity as a key driving point. 'This is about reconnecting with memories, softness, identity, and innocence in a time that feels uncertain and overstimulated. Through the use of nostalgia, fragrances are able to channel a safe space for customers by reminding them of cherished childhood memories. Research has shown that scents are strongly linked to memory. Fragrance houses are tapping into this emotional link by offering perfumes that make people relive past moments or tap into memories that evoke happiness, love, and warmth. These notes generally veer floral and powdery, employing classic feminine fragrance notes 'like rose, iris, violet, orange blossom, white florals, and sweet fruits, but in radically modernized ways,' she adds.
National Post
20-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Strategic Partnership Between the Government of Morocco and TAQA Morocco, Nareva, ONEE and the Mohammed VI Investment Fund to Develop Key Power and Water Infrastructures in the Kingdom of Morocco
Article content CASABLANCA, Morocco — As part of the implementation of the commitments made in the joint declaration between His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God Assist Him, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, TAQA Morocco, in partnership with Nareva and the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment, has signed three memorandums of understanding and related development agreements with the Government of Morocco and ONEE. These agreements cover the development of structuring projects in the power, water and renewable energy sectors. Article content Article content The program aims to strengthen the Kingdom's water and energy sovereignty through the development of flexible natural gas-based power generation capacity, seawater desalination and water transport infrastructure, and a new power transport line between the south and center of the Kingdom. Article content Involving a total investment of around 130 billion dirhams by 2030, this partnership will enable: Article content The production of 900 million m³ of desalinated water and the transport of 800 million m³ through the water highway project. The acquisition of the Tahaddart gas-fired power plant (400 MW) and the addition of 1,100 MW of combined-cycle capacity. The development of 1,200 MW of renewable energies under contract with ONEE, as well as an HVDC line of around 3,000 MW. Article content All of these projects will be equally owned by TAQA Morocco and Nareva, with a 15% stake held by Fonds Mohammed VI pour l'Investissement. Article content Abdelmajid Iraqui Houssaini, Chairman of the Board of TAQA Morocco: 'This strategic public / private partnership will contribute to significantly and sustainably transform the domestic water and energy landscape in Morocco with the enhancement of desalination capacities and water transmission. It reinforces the transmission network with a higher contribution of gas-fired power generation in Morocco's baseload to increase the integration of renewable energy sources. This important investment programme will also accelerate the growth and diversification of TAQA Morocco's business portfolio.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
07-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
City says water is safe in Montreal suburb after residents complain about yellow colour
The City of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac says the tap water is safe after receiving several complaints from residents about a yellow or brown colour.
