The natural selection
Over 1000 chemicals currently available to manufacturers of cosmetics and toiletries are suspected to have harmful effects.
My organic beauty contest
Ditching the chemical cocktail of skin products is harder than it sounds, discovers Hannah Pool.
Super rats!
Reports are coming in of giant rats that are immune to poison and have lost their fear of man. Is a new breed evolving on Britain's rubbish-strewn streets? Patrick Barkham investigates.
Boiled alive
The 2003 heatwave killed more than 30,000 people. It was the biggest natural disaster in Europe on record, according to the government's chief scientific adviser. And yet, as temperatures reach new highs, Britain is fretting about dried-out lawns and stuffy offices. Alok Jha looks at the dangers that really lie ahead - and how to survive them.
‘We do go a bit mad in the sun’
· Britons struggle to keep cool in 36° temperatures
· Hunt for shade becomes the new national pastime
Keep your cool
This could be the hottest day ever recorded in Britain. But how can you escape the heat without turning on the air conditioning - and warming the planet even more? Dominic Murphy offers some tips on how to stay chilled with a clear conscience.
Think before you drink
As Britain staggers through another long, hot summer, our consumption of mineral water is set to break all records. We do need a lot of water to stay healthy - but does it have to come out of a bottle? Aida Edemariam reports
New food poisoning outbreak leaves 83 ill
· Twice as many females hit by rare salmonella · Health alert comes two weeks after Cadbury scare
How a tobacco farm in Kent could provide a life-saving drug for millions
· Genetic tweak allows HIV drug to be harvested · Environmentalists fear cross-contamination