Toxic substances emitted in Angola have turned a river red in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the environment minister said on Friday, warning of an "ecological catastrophe" as the pollution kills wildlife including hippos.

This "discolouration would be caused by a toxic substance spill by an Angolan factory specialising in industrial diamond mining," DR Congo Enviroment Minister Eve Bazaiba said in a statement.

Polluted tributaries are feeding into the Kasai river in the west of the vast central African country.

Local officials in the Kasai region said the dead bodies of hippos and fish had been found in the polluted waters, she said.

The Kasai feeds into the Congo River, the second longest African river after the Nile.

The situation is an "ecological catastrophe", for the local populations, said Bazaiba.

The discolouration was "on the brink of reaching Kinshasa" where over 10 million people live, she added.

So far the exact nature of the toxic substances polluting the waterways is unknown. A team of environment ministry experts has been rushed to the area to collect samples of river water.

Related Links
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Report: PFAS pollution from military bases threatens Chesapeake Bay
Washington DC (UPI) Aug 11, 2021
Toxic chemicals from military installations have seeped into the Chesapeake Bay, harming wildlife and threatening food supplies and livelihoods, according to an analysis of U.S. Department of Defense records by an environmental watchdog group. The Environmental Working Group revealed its finding on Wednesday that it had found perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, chemicals known as "PFAS," at nine military installations near the bay. The chemicals have been used by the department in firefighting ... read more