A study carried out by the City of Rio de Janeiro points out that 80% of the samples collected from the sands of the coast of Rio de Janeiro have high contamination by fecal coliforms. In practice, 19 of the 24 points surveyed by the Municipal Secretary of the Environment were classified as “not recommended” for the public.
In the process of evaluating the coastal strip of Rio, the quality of the sand can be classified as excellent, good, regular and poor. According to the survey, the contamination of the waterfront is mainly due to the “presence of dog feces”.
Among the stretches that are not recommended for the population, there are beaches known by tourists, such as Praia Vermelha, Botafogo, Leme and Copacabana, all in the South Zone. More noble stretches of the coast of Rio de Janeiro, such as Ipanema and Leblon, also appear with a large amount of coliforms at certain points.
In addition to the beaches in the South Zone, much of the coastline of Ilha do Governador and Paquetá has high levels of bacteria, fungi and parasites, according to the city hall bulletin.
On the other hand, three collection points of the city hall of Rio de Janeiro reached the optimal level of quality: Praia do Flamengo, Praia de Ipanema (at Rua Maria Quitéria) and Praia de São Conrado (at the height of the Hotel Nacional).
For biologist and researcher Mário Moscatelli, the result in the city of Rio de Janeiro is “sad”, but “not surprising”. He explains that the release of sewage into the sea and the increase in the volume of feces released in these places are the main responsible for the current scenario of the Rio coast.
“Homeless feces, animal feces, sewage from rainwater galleries or channels that connect lagoons to beaches are the biggest villains behind it all. And we need to remember that Rio de Janeiro is a tourist city and needs these natural resources,” she explained.
Source: CNN Brasil
