A scene fitting for the Book of Revelation is being described by residents along the Sarandí stream near Villa Inflamable in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the water has turned blood red, according to multiple reports.
What's the cause?
The reason for the reddening wasn't immediately identified. However, government experts were analyzing samples to discover the origin. Early reports indicated that it could be an organic dye, per La Verdad, a local publication.
Nearby tanneries that use chemicals to turn animal hides into leather are a possible source, which hasn't been confirmed. Nine miles south, officials in Avellaneda believe that toxic substances used in dyes and medicines might be part of the color-changing mix, ABC News reported.
A dye used in food, ironically also red in color, has been making headlines lately as well. U.S. regulators recently banned Red No. 3 because of health risks.
The reports from Buenos Aires said the water is accompanied by a "powerful" and "nauseating" smell, along with the startling visual scene.
"It looks like a stream of blood; we have never seen it like this," resident María Ducomls told ABC.
Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?
Why is the reddened water important?
In addition to being a potential detriment to the Sarandi and the people who live along it, the waterway flows into Río de la Plata, an estuary to the South Atlantic Ocean. That's an open door for whatever is causing the discoloration to have an even greater negative impact.
Runoff from human enterprises has a track record of polluting waters. In Maryland, Gunpowder River in recent years was contaminated by overflow from a nearby construction site, ruining the once lush waterway that was filled with aquatic life. The river is in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, all per conservationists and the Bay Journal.
Abandoned mine drainage from long-defunct underground mines can still leach heavy metals and other elements into rivers and streams, often leaving them orange-colored and void of life, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It's a common contamination in the Appalachian region that requires indefinite remediation.
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All the time 💯 What's being done to help in Buenos Aires?
La Verdad reported that the country's environmental experts continue to examine water samples to determine and deal with the cause.
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Colorful pollution isn't a death sentence for rivers, as evidenced by the Stonycreek in southwestern Pennsylvania. After being left sterile from decades of mine drainage, remediation efforts revitalized the waterway, which was the state's river of the year in 2012, according to the Daily American.
Since we all need clean water, it's important to stay educated about the health of our natural resources and advocate for protections. Savvy consumers can better identify businesses that claim to be operating with the planet's health in mind but aren't being genuine with the effort. Your buying power can be leveraged to support companies that are really making a difference.
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