Vividly hued pink lakes are a major tourism draw in many countries, but Argentina is in no rush to put its newly formed flamingo pink lake on holiday posters. And that’s because this surreal sight does not come from nature’s wonders. Instead, industrial pollution is to blame.
Corfo lagoon is located near an industrial park on the outskirts of the Argentine city of Trelew. Local news outlets report that residents have long been complaining about foul smells and other environmental issues that surround both the lagoon and the nearby Chubut River that feeds it.
More recently, residents in Trelew’s neighboring city Rawson decided to block the roads that were being used to transport processed fish waste to treatment plants on the city’s outskirts. This is when provincial authorities decided that factories should be allowed to dump their waste in the Corfo lagoon instead.
Within days, the lagoon turned pink. According to experts, the color is caused by…
