In recent times, pollution has contained harmful impacts on numerous water bodies around the world. Now there has been an instance of a brightly colored lagoon in Argentina. The Corfo Lagoon is located in the Patagonian region of Argentina, near the towns of Trelew and Rawson. The Lagoon contains algae that require saltwater with its unique blue color, but it has now turned into a bright pink lagoon. While the Corfo may look quite elegant right now, the reason behind its color is relatively disturbing for all.
This sort of pollution comes up when a water body becomes contaminated, usually by chemicals or microbes. It can result in the water becoming toxic to the habitat and humans. The residents near the Corfo lagoon have complained about weird smells and other environmental problems. Some activists and experts have also speculated that this pink color is due to a surplus of sodium sulfite chemicals, which is a preservative that is used in the fishing industry. There have been claims that the chemicals in Corfo come from a fishing industrial park in Trelew, which is a nearby Argentinean city in northeastern Patagonia.
The pink Corfo Lagoon settles on the Chubut River of Argentina. This river has been a prominent center for the fishing industry. Several foreign fishing firms operate in the region in waters under Argentina's Atlantic jurisdiction. This industry utilizes fish for export, mainly shrimp, and it generates thousands of livelihoods, as this region is home to around 600000 people.
The fishing industry may generate employment but some local environmental activists believe that these companies make multi-million-dollar profits but don't pay the freight to take the waste to a treatment plant that already exists in Puerto Madryn, which is 35 miles away. And they do not even try to construct a waste management plant somewhere closer. Generally, the treatment companies truck their chemical waste through Rawson city, which is the capital of Chubut province. In recent times, the residents of Chubut felt some discomfort due to the heavy traffic filled with dangerous chemicals, stinky shipments, and blocked roads, so they raised their voices against this to cut off the route.
Administrators in Chubut have authorized companies to throw away their chemical waste in the lagoon, after which it started turning pink. Presently, the administration is claiming that this impact on the river is temporary and the color won't cause any damage. Virologist and Environmental Engineer and Fedrico Restrepo have told AFP that, “The coloration is due to a preservative called sodium sulfite. It is an antibacterial that also contaminates the waters of the Chubut River and the waters of the cities of the region. The law orders the treatment of such liquids before being dumped”.
The sodium sulfite is considered to be treated before it is disposed of as waste. And with the changing color of the lagoon, it is confirmed that the waste is not being properly treated by the companies. Local environmental activist Pablo Lada blamed the government for this and told AFP, “Those who should be in control are the ones who authorize the poisoning of people”. If a water source like this lagoon becomes contaminated with chemicals, it can lead to ecological destruction and even give health issues to humans. Before prioritizing industrialization, we need to remember that water is an essential source for all life on Earth.
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Reference -
- www.afp.com
- www.dw.com