Toxic beach alert on Brittany coast
Gas from rotting seaweed has already forced one beach to close after a horse died and its rider left unconscious
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned to stay away from a number of beaches in Brittany because of toxic fumes from rotting seaweed.
The problem has affected five beaches in the Côtes-d’Armor, where thick layers of algae have started giving off hydrogen sulphide - a gas with a similar level of toxicity to cyanide.
One stretch of beach, in Saint-Michel-en-Grève, has already been closed after a horse rider lost consciousness last week and his horse died.
Sea research body Ifremer has advised people to avoid the area until the problem is cleared.
Its research director, Alain Menesguen, said: “This is a very toxic gas, which smells like rotten eggs. It attacks the respiratory system and can kill a man or an animal in minutes.”
The gas emissions have been blamed on intensive farming techniques used in the region.
The green algae are thriving on the nitrates contained in fertilisers, which find their way into the sea.
Last weekend, nine beaches in Marseille were closed because of oil pollution after a month’s worth of rain fell in an hour.
The beaches at Huveaune, Borély, Bonnevein, Vieille Chapelle, Prado nord, Prado sud, Pointe rouge, Catalans and Goudes have since been reopened.
Photo: innacoz
