Museum of London opens its newest exhibition featuring the East End's 'fatberg'.
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Sections of Whitechapel’s ‘fatberg’ are now on display at the Museum of London, giving visitors a glimpse of the greasiest and smelliest side of urban life.
"For us, fatberg, was one of the key moments of last year," says curator Vyki Sparkes, "and when we heard about it, we thought it was really important that we reflected this huge challenge that the city faces, and we can't ignore any longer"
The 250 metre-long mass of oil and fat was taken from the sewers in London’s East End last year.
Sewage workers took nine weeks to dislodge the massive chunk of waste.
The museum preserved a part of the sludge, which one curator said possessed the consistency of “Parmesan mixed with moon rock”.
Transparent boxes protect visitors from the sludge's potentially deadly bacteria and unpleasant smell.
After analysis tests, the museum discovered that some of the main components of fatberg were cooking fats but also some more unexpected fats like conditioner and hydrating cream.
But fatberg might bring some good news as the toxic waste is being turned into biofuel and now fueling London’s public buses.