Photos and movies shared on-line confirmed blood-red water flowing by means of the rivers and port areas of Nago metropolis, on the island of Okinawa, a vacation spot higher recognized for emerald waters and sandy seashores.
But a neighborhood brewery urged folks to not fear, saying there had been a leak at one among its vegetation and that the discoloured water posed no hazard to people or marine life.
“We believe it was caused by the leakage of propylene glycol – a food additive listed in enforcement regulations of the Food Sanitation Act – contained in cooling water used to cool our factory facilities. We believe the leaked cooling water flowed into a river through a rain gutter, causing the sea to turn red,” Orion Breweries stated.
It added that the leak had been “plugged” by 9.30am on Tuesday (native time) – although a spokesperson for the Japanese Coast Guard informed CNN the seawater close to the brewery was nonetheless pink as of Wednesday morning.
Propylene glycol is often used within the meals, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies it as “generally recognised as safe” to be used in meals.
Orion Breweries additionally apologised for inflicting “inconvenience and enormous trouble and worry” and stated it had launched an investigation and was working with authorities to take “countermeasures”.
Roughly 640 kilometres south-west of mainland Japan, Okinawa is Japan’s fifth largest island and has been a strategic location for US armed forces because the 1945 Battle of Okinawa in World War II.
The island is right now a preferred vacationer vacation spot for worldwide travellers.
News of the pink seawater amused some social media customers however left others questioning if the water was secure.
One Twitter consumer stated crowds of individuals had gathered to have a look at the pink sea. “What is this? Is our ocean ok? The seawater is so red,” he tweeted.
Source: www.9news.com.au
