With the Olympics set to take place in Rio de Janeeiro, Brazil in 2016, environmental experts are warning the city that their water pollution is a serious issue.
Sailing events are likely to occur in Guanabara Bay, but oceanographer Vinicius Palermo says the water, as it currently is, is unacceptable, in large part due to the amount of wastewater dumped into the water without being treated. In Rio, only about 33 percent of the water is treated before being released.
If the sailing competition were to happen today, those monitoring the water’s condition say it would make for very poor sailing conditions that could ultimately embarrass both the city and the country if a boat were become tangled in the debris-filled water.
