Dye spill turns Brazilian lake blue threatening local wildlife

In a bizarre spectacle, a tranquil lake, along with much of its wildlife and their habitats, has turned a vivid shade of electric blue.

The Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden), around 75 km from São Paulo, Brazil, is much-loved urban oasis that attracts families, joggers and nature enthusiasts to enjoy incredible native plant species, scenic trails, and its gloriously picturesque lake, Lago de las Tulipas.

However, conservationists were alarmed to find the lake’s water and all manner of birds such as herons, geese and ducks; plus the local fauna had dramatically become strikingly discoloured, threatening a major environmental situation.

It occurred as a result of a truck carrying five 1,000 litre tanks, each containing a blue dye solution, being involved in a highway collision right outside, and whilst three of containers spilled onto the road, two others rolled straight into the lake, releasing their load into the water.

Within just a couple of hours, the contents had left a distinctive change to the entire surroundings and caused huge concern, as the lake is an important tributary of the Jundiaí River and a key artery coursing through much of the surrounding parkland.

There was immediate risk to aquatic plants, fish, birds, amphibians, and smaller organisms, with many fish quickly dying from the effects and experts were fearful for the birds who were ingesting the tainted carcasses.

Huge concern

The dye was intended to colour pulp-based egg cartons, which typically rely on vibrant, eye-catching colourization.

They also feature the organic component acetic acid, and therefore its sudden introduction into a vital aquatic habitat has to be concerning.

Both beautiful and horrifying

The park lies at the heart of the region and the spill on the road was so forceful that it stained nearby house facades, but the real concern was the effect in the water.

The scene that greeted visitors after the incident occurred, was described as both beautiful and horrifying at the same time.

It may have given a colourful and amusing new perspective, but conservationists and public authorities very quickly recognized that the changes represented an ominous sign for the creatures living within those waters.

Could have been worse

The Civil Defence unit officials were able to offer some reassurance and revealed that whilst it obviously was a contaminant, when compared to other chemical products, it thankfully was not as severe, but they did confirm that the lake’s ecology would undoubtedly suffer.

Part of the danger was the drastic drop in the water’s pH level, leaving fish in particular in an extremely vulnerable position, as they are reliant on stable water chemistry for their healthy survival.

Altering its balance would have meant an abrupt and sadly a devastating end for dozens, possibly hundreds of fish, as was demonstrated with the rapid sight of carcasses washing ashore.

No laughing matter

The nearby wetlands support larger animals and birds and as is highly likely, these will have consumed too much of the contaminated water, so whilst they may not necessarily be killed straight away, they could experience severe internal damage.

Photographs of birds with sky-blue feathers quickly appeared online creating humorous comments from people unaware of the harm they had potentially suffered.

No threat to drinking water

The possible knock-on effects could have dire long-term consequences for the likes of frogs, toads, and other amphibians up the food chain, as the microorganisms that occupy the lake and underpin the entire aquatic ecosystem, actually are the providers of their essential nutrients and energy for breeding and basic survival.

Fortunately, no communities rely on the water from Lago de las Tulipas for household consumption, meaning at least there has not been any compromising of their water supply.

Nevertheless,  the flow of the contamination has to raise anxiety over effects to Brazil’s Jundiaí River. It will need to be monitored and effectively contained, otherwise local wildlife downstream will almost certainly be affected.

Public on animal watch

A clean-up operation can obviously bring most of the visible surroundings back to normal relatively quickly, but that ecosystem of the lake is unlikely bounce back overnight.

There is hope that there could be a natural adjustment, but conservation organizations have put out a request for residents and park visitors to report animals showing signs of distress so they can  intervene as promptly as possible.