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Argentina lake has turned bright pink—activists say it’s due to pollution

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A lagoon in Argentina’s southern Patagonia region has turned bright pink. Activists have blamed this on pollution by a chemical used to preserve prawns for export.

The colour is caused by sodium sulfite, an anti-bacterial product used in fish factories, whose waste is blamed for contaminating the Chubut River that feeds the Corfo lagoon and other water sources in the region, according to activists. Residents who live near the lake have complained about foul smells and other environmental issues for some time.

“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. The lagoon turned pink last week and remained the abnormal colour on Sunday, said Lada, who lives in the city of Trelew, not far from the lagoon and some 1,400 kilometres south of Buenos Aires.

Environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo told AFP the colouration was due to sodium sulfite in fish waste, which by law, should be treated before being dumped. The lagoon, which is not used for recreation, receives runoff from the Trelew industrial park and has turned the colouror of fuchsia before.

“The reddish colouror 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 minimise something so serious.”

ARTICLE: PAUL MURDOCH

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE
PHOTO CREDITS: GIZMODO

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Paul Murdoch

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

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