Nitrate

Horizon · S28 · E18

Camelford - A Bitter Aftertaste

  • TV-PG
  • May 20, 1991
  • 60 min

Horizon explores the Camelford disaster, in which aluminium sulphate was accidentally added to drinking water in Cornwall in 1988.

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About this episode

Horizon explores the Camelford disaster, in which aluminium sulphate was accidentally added to drinking water in Cornwall in 1988.

Season 28

23 episodes
  1. 1Sudden Death

    60 minJan 7, 1991

    Documentary considering the nature of sudden death, the effects of coronary heart disease and the part they play.

  2. 2Keen as Mustard

    60 minJan 14, 1991

    This Horizon episode tells the story of the top secret experiments carried out to test the effects of mustard gas.

  3. 3Smokers Can Harm Your Health

    60 minJan 21, 1991

    Horizon investigates the case against passive smoking and reveals new evidence of its danger.

  4. 4Coming In from the Cold

    60 minJan 28, 1991

    Horizon reports on the new arms verification industry emerging due to the new arms control treaties.

  5. 5Small Problems with the Mirror

    60 minFeb 4, 1991

    Horizon follows astronomer's efforts to rescue the Hubble space telescope and restore its original planned performance.

  6. 6Two Weeks to Save the Earth

    60 minFeb 10, 1991

    Looks at the work of Earthwatch, and some of the many people who spend their holidays contributing to learning about the planet by helping on prehistoric digs, recording fish noises, tracking rodents, measuring grass an leaves and counting insects in places all over the world, often suffering much discomfort and boredom.

  7. 7California Dreaming

    60 minFeb 11, 1991

    This Horizon documentary presents the US auto industry's response to clean-up the air in Los Angeles, California by the year 2007.

  8. 8The Day the Earth Melted

    60 minFeb 25, 1991

    This episode of Horizon examines 20 years of research which has led to a new theory on how the earth's crust was made.

  9. 9The Curse of Karash

    60 minFeb 25, 1991

    Looks at the phenomenon of the outbreaks of a lethal kidney disease amongst groups of people scattered around an area of the Balkans, covering Yugoslavia, Romania and Bulgaria, over the past 30 years.It considers the attempts and theories of scientists from all these countries over the years to find the cause of the disease.

  10. 10Playing at Noah

    60 minMar 4, 1991

    This Horizon interview presents Dr. Ulysses Seal who believes the "frozen zoo" concept is the best way to save vanishing species for the future generations.

  11. 11Cashing in on Paradise

    60 minMar 11, 1991

    This Horizon episode considers the pros and cons of "ecotourism" and the effects of tourism on the environment. The coral reefs of areas of Belize are suffering already from the effects tourists coming to the area. Rain forests and ape sanctuary areas employing the local community are also becoming a danger to the delicate environments.

  12. 12The Terracotta Time Machine

    60 minMar 18, 1991

    This episode of Horizon explores the Natural History Museum and its philosophy, both past and present. We look at some of the recent innovations that have been introduced in the past few years. The recent director of the museum, Dr. Neil Chalmers, justifies his policies, restructuring, and the academics. The scientists, who are adversely affected by the policies, air their own worries and concerns.

  13. 13Measuring the Roof of the World

    60 minMar 25, 1991

    Horizon examines the problems and cartography involved in mapping mountains such as Mount Everest. They follow the history of of mapping from those surveys conducted by mountaineering expeditions and early explorers, to modern mapping techniques using planes and satellites. Horizon also considers the startling news that K2 may actually be the world's tallest mountain according to recent satellite calculations.

  14. 14The First Americans

    60 minApr 15, 1991

    Horizon looks at archaeologist's new theories surrounding the population of the New World over 11,000 years ago

  15. 15Inside Chernobyl's Sarcophagus

    60 minApr 22, 1991

    Documentary following the clean-up operation at Chernobyl and the elite team of Soviet scientists working in areas of radiation that would be considered lethal in the West, whilst they hunt for missing fuel, uranium and plutonium, anxious that these could cause a second accident.

  16. 16Colonising Cyberspace

    60 minApr 29, 1991

    Horizon presents a documentary on how virtual reality can make humans feel as if they are present in the computer simulated artificial world. What is the future of all this powerful, seductive technology?

  17. 17Emerging Viruses

    60 minMay 13, 1991

    In this report, Horizon follows a group of eminent scientists who believe we have become too complacent about infectious diseases.

  18. 18Camelford - A Bitter Aftertaste

    60 minMay 20, 1991Now viewing

    Horizon explores the Camelford disaster, in which aluminium sulphate was accidentally added to drinking water in Cornwall in 1988.

  19. 19Of Big Bangs, Stick Men and Galactic Holes

    60 minJun 3, 1991

    Several astronomers and scientists explore the concepts of "hot/cold dark space" and whether or not the "Big Bang" theory is actually correct, as well as considering the structures of galaxies.

  20. 20Food For Thought

    60 minJun 10, 1991

    This story by Horizon looks at the expanding and controversial area of "smart drugs".

  21. 21The Long Road to the West

    60 minJun 17, 1991

    In this Horizon episode, we look at the problems facing the Carl Zeiss optics company of Jena and other companies in the scientific sector of the former Eastern block countries. Following the reunification of Germany and the end of the Cold War, harsh economic conditions and the lack of scientific progress over the preceding decades in particular are explored.

  22. 22Half Hearted About Semi-Skimmed

    60 minJun 24, 1991

    Horizon examines the social and scientific issues around the cholesterol debate.

  23. 23T-Rex Exposed

    60 minJul 1, 1991

    Considers some of the different theories surrounding the Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur, and other members of the same family, and shows how calculations about size, speed, weight, etc. are made from skeletons, some of them recently discovered in Montana. Scientists also use the latest x-ray/scanning techniques to examine skulls and bones for information.