Bad Water Pollutes the 2016 Olympics
What if I told you someone you care about was a part of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, only to find out the water in which they will compete is potentially full of bacteria and viruses that could result in life-threatening diseases. Quite unsettling, right? Well even more unsettling is the fact that the commissioners of these Olympic Games will do nothing to prevent the threat from becoming a reality for the athletes competing in the infested waters.
These waterways include the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and Guanabara Bay where rowing and long distance swimming will take place. According to The Associated Press, top officials announced on Wednesday that the International Olympic Committee ruled out conducting viral tests of Rio de Janeiro's sewage-laden waterways ahead of the 2016 games. Studies also done by The Associated Press have revealed the the water is filled with potentially dangerous pathogens that the athletes will almost certainly be exposed to while competing in the water. They have a 99% chance of being infected by a virus if they happen to ingest just three teaspoons of the water. Even worse is the fact most of the athletes competes will be foreign to the area, so they have very little tolerance or immune build-up to fight off these new diseases. The viral count in the water is approximately 1.7 million times what is considered an unsafe amount in a California beach. The water is full of raw sewage and swimming in it equates to swimming in a sewer system. All this being said, the committee for the games refuses to properly test the waters or instruct the city of Rio to either find new locations for the event taking place there or use some type of sterile techniques to somehow clean the water even if it's just to a small extent. This is a disgraceful showing by the committee and proves they care nothing about the athletes competing in the games, but all about the money they will draw in. I doubt they would let anyone they cared about near that water, let alone swim in it. Most of these athletes have put in years of work for this moment, but now even participating in the sports they love could threaten their lives. These athletes should be treated like the human beings they are and not pawns in the game of making money.
*information from bigstory.ap.org
