2023-05-03 02:12:00
KYIV. May 3. UNN. Foul-smelling and potentially toxic sargassum has washed up on French Caribbean beaches. He writes about it UNN citing Phys.org.
Details
The pristine sand and turquoise Caribbean waters usually attract tourists. But a thick layer of potentially toxic sargassum algae, which fills the air with the smell of rotten eggs as it decomposes, washed up on Capesterre beach.
“We make a living from tourism, but we have to close for several months a year because of the stench,” said Jose Viator, one of the owners of the beach bar.
He also noted that toxic fumes are damaging nearby homes and other property by corroding metal, but insurance companies will not cover the damages.
As noted, decomposing algae emit about 30 gases.
Among them is hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which causes the smell of rotten eggs and is believed to have a negative effect on health when inhaled in large quantities.
Prolonged human exposure to these gases can cause headaches and problems in some asthmatics, while a 2022 study linked rotten algae to an increased risk of complications during pregnancy in women living on the coast.
Scientists believe that global warming, deforestation and water filled with sewage and agricultural waste have contributed to sargassum flooding Caribbean beaches in recent years.
We will remind
Over the past few days, 210 bodies of migrants have washed ashore in Tunisia.
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