As people walk down the estuary along the bay of Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, not very far from where the beach cabins are, they can already see the stretch of seaweeds covering the waters. A pungent smell wafting in the wind of a place that has always been considered a tourist spot drive people away. The smell comes from decomposing seaweeds can be likened to that of rotten eggs.
"You can't be too careful around these killer algae," said Andre Ollivro, a former gas technician who is currently leading the fight against what they refer to as France's killer slime. "It used to be a very beautiful place where people drive to during the summer. It's a shame that it has now been associated with deaths."
It was decades ago when the green algae started growing in the shallow bays of the North Western coast of Brittany. Environmentalists say that the massive growth of green algae may be linked to the nitrates contained in the fertilizers used to grow crops around the area. The waste that is collected from the poultry, pig and dairy farms that flow directly to the river system and enters the sea and allows these killer algae to grow on their own.
The algae and its growth is not harmful at all, except that they can be very unsightly. However, when these sea grasses begin to decompose, pockets of toxic gases are trapped in the crust -- potentially harming everyone who steps on it.
"It could kill you in a matter of seconds," Ollivro said, as he took out the gas reader to measure the levels of toxic gas present in the environment. This summer alone, six beaches in Brittany have been declared closed to the public because of the mass growth of the seaweed growth that could pose extreme danger to the public.
It has caught the attention of the government that's why dumper trucks lined up by the beach to collect the algae, dry it out and dispose. However, the inland treatment center has temporarily been closed due to the unbearable stench from all the dried seaweeds. The center blames the improper collection of the algae for the foul smell. Its mixture with mud and sand make the smell worse.
The spread of the killer algae in the area of Brittany has brought about a lot of concerns to the community. Apart from the fact that it has affected the once strong tourism sector, it has also become a health hazard to the residents. Dealing with the problem properly is aimed not only to end the problem, but also to think of the many ways it could be prevented in the future.
