Streams of medicines: how Switzerland cleaned up its act

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2 • 938 Ratings

🗓️ 10 April 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

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Summary

Switzerland is leading the world in purifying its water of micropollutants, a concoction of chemicals often found in bodies of water that look crystal clear. They include common medicines like antidepressants and antihistamines, but have unknown and potentially damaging consequences for human and ecosystem health. In the second of a two-part series, Phoebe Weston travels to Geneva to find out how the country has transformed its rivers from sewage-filled health hazards to pristine swimming spots. She tells Madeleine Finlay how a public health disaster in the 1960s spurred the government to act, and what the UK could learn from the Swiss about taking care of a precious national asset.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:11.1	In Tuesday's episode of Science Weekly,
0:14.6	biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston revealed that within some of the UK's prettiest rivers and streams
0:20.4	flows a concoction of chemicals.
0:23.5	We're in the Peak District.
0:24.8	Just a lovely clear blue sky, crisp autumn day.
0:29.4	Absolutely stunning and you look down to this water
0:31.4	and I can't tell you how inviting it looks.
0:34.1	This water here, we detected 28 different pharmaceuticals.
0:38.3	If we look carefully enough, we'd probably find hundreds of chemicals in the water.
0:45.3	Evidence is growing that these chemicals are posing a serious threat to wildlife and ecosystems,
0:52.3	changing the growth and behaviour of animals and plants.
0:55.0	They're also a concern for our health.
0:58.0	Experts are particularly worried about how the presence of antibiotics in the environment
1:03.0	could be driving antimicrobial resistance.
1:06.0	Toxicologically, the levels of the pharmaceutical in that water won't do us any harm.
1:11.6	But the thing we're worried about is the antibiotics then selecting for all antimicrobial resistance
1:19.6	in the bacteria.
1:20.6	But there is one country that's tackling the problem pretty successfully.
1:24.6	Switzerland has what's called tertiary treatments that remove things like pharmaceuticals,
1:30.3	pesticides, metals.
1:32.3	So Phoebe took a trip to the city of Geneva to find out how they've managed it.
	...

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