Lake In Argentina Turns Bright Pink Due To Pollution

The lagoon in Patagonia, in the southern region of Argentina, has turned bright pink as a result of the dumping of waste from local fish factories, which, among other things, are engaged in shrimp processing, according to activists.?

The water turned pink through a preservative - sodium sulfite, an anti-bacterial product which is used in fish factories. Local authorities say the discharge has been officially granted, the pink water is safe and the lagoon will clear itself in a few days.

Environmentalists insist that such waste must be treated and treated before dumping. And locals say that, despite the exotic appearance, the waters of the lagoon emit an unpleasant odor and collect hordes of flies. "Those who should be in control are the ones who authorize the poisoning of people," environmental activist Pablo Lada told AFP, blaming the government for the mess.

Lada, who lives in the city of Trelew, near the lagoon said that The lagoon turned pink last week and remained an abnormal color on Sunday. "We get dozens of trucks daily, the residents are getting tired of it," said Lada. Environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo told AFP the coloration was due to sodium sulfite in fish waste, which by law, should be treated before being dumped.

Fish factories have previously been blamed for polluting local water bodies: the Chubut River, which feeds the Corfo lagoon, and other water sources in the region. Residents have long complained of odors and other environmental problems. Plants that process fish for export, mainly prawns and hake, generate thousands of jobs for Chubut province, home to some 600,000 people.

"The reddish color does not cause damage and will disappear in a few days," environmental control chief for Chubut province, Juan Micheloud, told AFP last week. Sebastian de la Vallina, planning secretary for the city of Trelew disagreed: "It is not possible to minimize something so serious."

It is not the first time that this color has appeared in the lagoon, the historic wastewater disposal site of the Trelew industrial park, but the problem has worsened in recent weeks as a result of an environmental conflict in the nearby town of Rawson, capital of the province of Chubut. Previously, waste was dumped near the town of Rawson, however, locals rebelled, blocked the road with trucks and now the waste is dumped near the city of Trelew.

"Fish processing generates work... it's true. But these are multi-million-dollar profit companies that don't want to pay freight to take the waste to a treatment plant that already exists in Puerto Madryn, 35 miles away, or build a plant closer," said Lada.