Un lac din Patagonia care a devenit roz peste noapte a provocat panică în rândul locuitorilor din zonă, dar și controverse în rândul autorităților, scrie Insider.

lac-roz

La originea conflictului se află permisiunea acordată companiilor de pescuit de a deversa deșeuri în Laguna de Corfo, la 30 de kilometri de orașul Trelew din Chubut.

Potrivit experților și activiștilor de mediu, lacul a fost poluat cu un lichid de culoare roz, sulfura de sodiu, un agent antibacterian care contaminează, de asemenea, pânza freatică a râului Chubut și alimentarea cu apă a orașelor din regiune.

Cu toate acestea, Șeful Gărzii de Mediu din provincia Chubut, Juan Micheloud, a declarat pentru AFP că substanțele chimice vărsate în apă nu sunt dăunătoare: „Culoarea roz nu provoacă daune și va dispărea în câteva zile”.

Aerial view of a lagoon that turned pink due to a chemical used to help shrimp conservation in fishing factories near Trelew, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina, on July 23, 2021. "The coloration is due to a preservative called sodium sulphite. It is an antibacterial that also contaminates the waters of the Chubut River and waters of the cities of the region. The law orders the treatment of such liquids before being dumped", said to AFP the environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo, a Colombian expert who lives and works in Argentina.,Image: 623002467, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

View of a lagoon that turned pink due to a chemical used to help shrimp conservation in fishing factories near Trelew, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina, on July 23, 2021. "The coloration is due to a preservative called sodium sulphite. It is an antibacterial that also contaminates the waters of the Chubut River and waters of the cities of the region. The law orders the treatment of such liquids before being dumped", said to AFP the environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo, a Colombian expert who lives and works in Argentina.,Image: 623002470, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

Aerial view of a lagoon that turned pink due to a chemical used to help shrimp conservation in fishing factories near Trelew, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina, on July 23, 2021. "The coloration is due to a preservative called sodium sulphite. It is an antibacterial that also contaminates the waters of the Chubut River and waters of the cities of the region. The law orders the treatment of such liquids before being dumped", said to AFP the environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo, a Colombian expert who lives and works in Argentina.,Image: 623002472, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

Aerial view of a lagoon that turned pink due to a chemical used to help shrimp conservation in fishing factories near Trelew, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina, on July 23, 2021. "The coloration is due to a preservative called sodium sulphite. It is an antibacterial that also contaminates the waters of the Chubut River and waters of the cities of the region. The law orders the treatment of such liquids before being dumped", said to AFP the environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo, a Colombian expert who lives and works in Argentina.,Image: 623002468, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

View of a lagoon that turned pink due to a chemical used to help shrimp conservation in fishing factories near Trelew, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina, on July 23, 2021. "The coloration is due to a preservative called sodium sulphite. It is an antibacterial that also contaminates the waters of the Chubut River and waters of the cities of the region. The law orders the treatment of such liquids before being dumped", said to AFP the environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo, a Colombian expert who lives and works in Argentina.,Image: 623002469, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

Aerial view of a lagoon that turned pink due to a chemical used to help shrimp conservation in fishing factories near Trelew, in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina, on July 23, 2021. "The coloration is due to a preservative called sodium sulphite. It is an antibacterial that also contaminates the waters of the Chubut River and waters of the cities of the region. The law orders the treatment of such liquids before being dumped", said to AFP the environmental engineer and virologist Federico Restrepo, a Colombian expert who lives and works in Argentina.,Image: 623002471, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia

Deși incidentul a avut loc în urmă cu patru zile, lacul este în continuare roz.

Lacul, cu o suprafață de 10 până la 15 hectare, este situat în parcul industrial din Trelew, care a fost fondat de coloniștii galezi în urmă cu peste 150 de ani. Pescuitul este important pentru cei 600.000 de locuitori din Chubut, alături de agricultură, industria alimentară și turism (bazat pe balenele de lângă Puerto Madryn și pinguinii din Punta Tombo).