On February 6, Argentinians discovered the Sarandi canal in a Buenos Aires suburb had turned bright red. Citizens immediately woke up concerned with the strong odors in the air, realizing a hazardous waste incinerator was throwing its pollutants into the air— smoke and grey gases. Following this, locals proceeded to check out the canal, and once they did, they found the water was colored in the Sarandi Canal, which flows to the Río de la Plata. Citizens commented, “It looked like a river of blood.” Another resident, Maria Duomls, commented to the AFP Industries, that she had seen it colored differently in the past such as “bluish, a little green, pink, lilac, yet never like this.”
Local media reports suggested the intense change of color could have been produced by the dumping of textile dye, or by chemical waste from a nearby depot. Initial tests conducted by a mobile lab that took samples on-site suggested that the water’s blood-red color was caused by a dye that had been used. No official statement regarding the results has been released to the public, yet illegal dumping in these waterways has always been a persistent issue. Carlos Colángelo, the president of the Professional Council of Chemistry for the Province of Buenos Aires spoke out, “We have to wait for the results of the analysis, but we can say that a company that would have dumped this is totally unscrupulous.” Residents who are aware of the issue have seen that several manufacturing facilities that produce textile and leather in the area have disposed of dangerous waste into canals that are approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the center of the capital. They express their continuous concern about this situation as the Rio de la Plata borders an ecological reserve which is the biggest and most biodiverse green space in Buenos Aires.
This pollution is part of a broader pattern, as Argentina has faced environmental issues before, especially in high-industrial areas. Consequently, the Sarandi Canal is connected to The Río de la Plata, one of the most important bodies of water in South America. It provides water resources to 11 million residents of Buenos Aires. Its contamination would have detrimental consequences for both the environment and public health. For instance, the surrounding wetlands serve as habitats for a variety of wildlife, and pollution can cause fish and marine life to die from toxic waste. Dumping textile dyes into these bodies of water has a tremendous effect on aquatic life, water contamination, reduction of oxygen levels, and overall human health. Nevertheless, industrial waste contamination has always been a problem. Another prime example of severe industrial pollution is The Matanza-Riachuelo River, another significant watercourse in Buenos Aires, which is one of the most contaminated rivers in the world due to unchecked pollution from factories. In the long term run, the pollution in these urban canals can and will proceed to affect water safety and biodiversity.
Similarly, in December 2011, in China, the Jian River in Luoyang turned bright red due to the illegal dumping of red dye by an unlicensed workshop. Another example happened in September 2012, when sections of the Yangtze River near Chongqing turned a reddish hue. While the exact cause remains uncertain, experts speculated that industrial pollution or upstream sand distribution might have been responsible. These incidents highlight the critical need for strict environmental regulations and proactive measures to prevent industrial pollution in waterways worldwide.
Experts suggest several steps to prevent future incidents like this:
- Stricter industrial regulations to ensure factories properly treat their wastewater before disposal.
- Increased environmental monitoring with frequent water quality tests in at-risk areas.
- Community-led reporting systems where citizens can report illegal dumping more effectively.
- More severe penalties for businesses caught polluting, including legal action against executives.
For now, residents are waiting for official results on the contamination while demanding greater accountability from both businesses and the government. The red Sarandí Canal serves as a stark reminder of the environmental risks facing Buenos Aires and the urgent need for action.
