On the past Saturday, August 30th, the organization Brote Nativo held an Informative Mateada at the first pier of Los Sauces Beach in Concordia, with the aim of deepening the debate on the verdín in the Uruguay River and its connection with intensive use of agrochemicals and fertilizers.
Cyanobacteria in the river: a problem that worsens each summer
The phenomenon known as verdín refers to the proliferation of cyanobacteria, photosynthetic microorganisms that dye the water an intense green. These algae multiply in stagnant waters, with high temperatures and high solar radiation.
- Health risks: Some cyanobacteria release toxins (cyanotoxins) that can cause skin and eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches
- Risks for animals: Ingesting contaminated water can be deadly for capybaras, pets, and wildlife
This phenomenon affects both the Argentine and Uruguayan coasts, and intensifies each year, generating concern for its impact on public health and aquatic ecosystems.
Agrochemicals and verdín: a relationship that demands answers
Activists denounce the lack of public policies to address the link between agricultural pollution and toxic blooms.
Facundo Scattone, a representative of Brote Nativo, explained to Diario Río Uruguay that the organization began researching the issue after noticing that the verdín recurred every summer without a clear institutional response. “What changed since 2000 was not the climate, but the intensive use of land with agrochemicals,” he pointed out.
The organization detected a possible connection between verdín and the use of fertilizers with nitrogen and phosphorus, elements that promote the growth of cyanobacteria. In March of this year, they submitted a request for information to the municipality, asking for data on previous diagnoses and future lines of action, but five months later, they still have not received a response.
Brote Nativo: territorial activism and wetlands protection
The organization works on agrochemicals, fumigations, and aquatic ecosystems.
Brote Nativo promotes actions related to:
- Combatting the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals
- Raising awareness about fumigations in rural and peri-urban areas
- Protecting wetlands and bodies of water
The Mateada was a space to share knowledge, raise awareness, and demand serious public policies that address the contamination of the Uruguay River from an environmental and health perspective.
What can we do in the face of verdín?
Recommendations for the community and calls for institutional action:
- Avoid contact with green or greenish water, especially on hot days
- Do not let animals drink contaminated water
- Demand constant monitoring and dissemination of health alerts
- Promote interdisciplinary studies on the relationship between agrochemicals and toxic blooms
