Nearly 150 people were hospitalised after swimming on Sunday in seawater suspected to have been polluted at Tenes in northwestern Algeria, a regional official said, quoted by local media.

Three beaches and a desalination plant have been closed and an investigation launched in Chlef, a locality that includes Tenes, the reports said.

Local government official Lakhdar Seddas told the privately owned Echourouk TV channel that "149 people suffered nausea, fever and redness of the eyes and were taken to hospital".

Seddas said that around 50 people had since left hospital, and that polluted seawaters may have made them ill. Suspicions centred on a ship carrying livestock that had arrived recently at Tenes port, he added.

The website Ennahar Online named the ship as the Tanzanian-flagged Barhom II, and said it had arrived from the southern French port of Sete.

Twenty-eight divers and seven civil defence workers who were sent to investigate were also reported to have become unwell.

An official statement said an environment ministry team had taken air and water samples from the port at Tenes, beaches and other locations.

Related Links
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media 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.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Microbes from the guts of cows can break down plastic
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 2, 2021
Microbes found in a cow's stomach can break down plastics, according to new research. Researchers found the polymer-munching microbes in the rumen, one of four compartments comprising the bovine stomach. The bacteria, described Friday in the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, could be used to reduce plastic litter in landfills and polluted ecosystems. The discovery wasn't entirely unexpected, as the diet of cows and other ruminants features a significant amount ... read more