Europe | Invaluable bivalves

How clams help keep Polish water clean

The molluscs are remarkably good at detecting pollution

The shellfish gene keeps water clean

A WATER PUMP known as Gruba Kaska (Fat Kathy) is a local landmark in Warsaw. To get there, you must walk 300 metres through a slimy tunnel under the Vistula river. There you will find eight clams hooked up to computers. They are monitoring the city’s drinking water.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “How clams fight pollution”

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