Fatberg ‘autopsy’ reveals growing health threat to Londoners
Fatbergs, the congealed mass of fat and discarded items that are increasingly blocking Britain’s sewers, are the consequence of the plastic crisis in Britain and contain potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, tests show. A study by Channel 4 in conjunction with Thames Water has analysed the contents of one supersize fatberg discovered underneath the streets of South Bank in central London. The forensic analysis revealed that cooking fat is the biggest contributor to the crisis, making up nearly 90% of the sample. It also showed a higher concentration of prohibited gym supplements than street drugs such as cocaine and MDMA. Fatbergs are part of a growing urban problem across the UK as the sewage infrastructure struggles to cope with the population’s changing habits. The South Bank mass is thought to be larger than the fatberg discovered under Whitechapel, east London, which weighed the same as 11 double decker buses and stretched the length of two football pitches.