The current year, 2016, has been an eventful year to say the least. One thing that is often overlooked when reviewing the top news stories of the year is the environmental challenges countries have had to face globally. During the summer of 2016, a world renowned event occurred in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, The Summer Olympics. There were many controversies over the location of this year’s Olympics, as Rio is home to many political, social, and environmental issues. One of the environmental issues that was brought to light was the contaminated waters in the city. Tests were conducted and the first results, almost a year before the Olympics were to begin, revealed that the water in the aquatic centers contained viral levels up to 1.7 million times
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Most of the water pollution in Rio can be traced to human sewage being dumped into the rivers. Human sewage can carry a number of pathogens, including viruses and bacteria (Konkel, 2016). One virus that is specifically found in the waters of Guanabara Bay is the adenovirus which can cause “many different problems—from diarrhea to respiratory, eye, and skin infections,” says Kristina Mena, an associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center who independently reviewed the 2015 Associated Press study of the water pollution in Rio. The same study also revealed that Copacabana Beach, located at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, along with other beaches in Rio, contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One strand that was found along the beaches, called carbapenemase-producing bacteria, is often associated with hospital waste and, depending on the strength of the immune system, could cause infection. A few athletes training for the Olympics during the months before the games complained that they felt ill after leaving the waters of Rio saying they were experiencing stomach and skin problems. (Konkel, …show more content…
Untreated sewage runs throughout poor communities across Rio, and Brazil, causing gastroenteritis which affect those who are young, old, or have a compromised immune system. This illness is a major cause of hospitalization in Rio, and it can have long-term effects, like learning deficits in young children (Bailey, 2016). Those who have visited Rio say there is a constant stench that reeks of fecal matter coming from the streams of raw sewage. These streams often run in the backyards of many favelas. Not only is Rio’s water pollution affecting citizen’s health, it is depleting many jobs. Eating seafood contaminated with heavy metals, industrial chemicals including PCBs, and hydrocarbons from petroleum products, cause long-term health concerns for Rio residents (Konkel, 2016). Sergio Ferreira, 65, who has been fishing in the bay for most of his life, said “There is no hope for fisherman,” as fisherman nowadays often get sick, and sometimes die, from the water (Bailey,
Most of the water pollution in Rio can be traced to human sewage being dumped into the rivers. Human sewage can carry a number of pathogens, including viruses and bacteria (Konkel, 2016). One virus that is specifically found in the waters of Guanabara Bay is the adenovirus which can cause “many different problems—from diarrhea to respiratory, eye, and skin infections,” says Kristina Mena, an associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center who independently reviewed the 2015 Associated Press study of the water pollution in Rio. The same study also revealed that Copacabana Beach, located at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, along with other beaches in Rio, contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One strand that was found along the beaches, called carbapenemase-producing bacteria, is often associated with hospital waste and, depending on the strength of the immune system, could cause infection. A few athletes training for the Olympics during the months before the games complained that they felt ill after leaving the waters of Rio saying they were experiencing stomach and skin problems. (Konkel, …show more content…
Untreated sewage runs throughout poor communities across Rio, and Brazil, causing gastroenteritis which affect those who are young, old, or have a compromised immune system. This illness is a major cause of hospitalization in Rio, and it can have long-term effects, like learning deficits in young children (Bailey, 2016). Those who have visited Rio say there is a constant stench that reeks of fecal matter coming from the streams of raw sewage. These streams often run in the backyards of many favelas. Not only is Rio’s water pollution affecting citizen’s health, it is depleting many jobs. Eating seafood contaminated with heavy metals, industrial chemicals including PCBs, and hydrocarbons from petroleum products, cause long-term health concerns for Rio residents (Konkel, 2016). Sergio Ferreira, 65, who has been fishing in the bay for most of his life, said “There is no hope for fisherman,” as fisherman nowadays often get sick, and sometimes die, from the water (Bailey,