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The environment ministry was on Thursday investigating the mysterious red color that tainted the Beirut River a day earlier, urging the Hazmiyeh and Baabda municipalities to cooperate with it.
Beirut police went in vain up and down the stream on Wednesday to locate the source of the red liquid.
As Safir daily said that the ministry’s team of experts headed by Bassam Sabbagh made an initial finding that the pollutant has no odor and that the red color could come from blood, a chemical, or a dye.
“The source of the pollution hasn’t been identified yet because it comes from a closed sewage,” Environment Minister Nazem al-Khoury said. “But it could probably be from the Hazmiyeh or Baabda municipalities.”
He urged the municipalities to cooperate as soon as possible to determine the source and type of pollution.
“There is a possibility that a factory threw pollutants or a slaughterhouse” threw the remains of animals, al-Khoury said.
An unlicensed farm could also be behind the pollution, he added
Dr. Isam Bashour, professor of Agricultural Sciences at the American University of Beirut, told NOW Lebanon that although he has not seen the the river, it could well be a consequence of recent storms and soil erosion. When asked why this did not occur weeks ago when storms were at their heaviest, Bashour said that previously, the soil was able to absorb the majority of water gathered through rain whereas now it is less able to do so. Furthermore, he noted, it takes time for the river to run from its source to Beirut
According to the March 14 official website, security forces are investigating
Originally posted by 00nunya00
It's an algae bloom. This happens all the time.
ETA: was going to wonder why no had caught it, but good job, poster 2 or 3 above mine, LOLedit on 16-2-2012 by 00nunya00 because: (no reason given)