The green in the eyes of greedy corporations dumping waste from their factories has environmentalists in Argentina seeing red, because one of their lakes has turned pink. The Corfo Lagoon, a body of water in the Patagonia region, recently took on a bright pink hue that makes it look like a cotton candy lake. But experts warn the distinct coloration is the result of pollution from nearby fish factories that are putting residents at risk.
The lake started turning pink last week, according to a report from French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). The change in color, according to environmentalists, is the result of an excess of sodium sulfite. It is an antibacterial agent and chemical compound often used to preserve shellfish, which fish factories near Corfo Lagoon reportedly use on prawns that are to be exported. The problem: Officials in the Chubut province recently gave factories the OK to dump their waste in the lagoon, and the excess sodium sulfite in that waste has now polluted Corfo's water, as well as that of the Chubut River and other smaller bodies of water. Within days, the water turned pink.
