Because the water quality in Queensland’s Moreton Bay, northeast of Brisbane, has been compared to sewage, experts have issued a serious health warning about swimming there.
According to a University of Queensland research, the amount of mud and debris that floods have washed down the Brisbane River is equivalent to 180 years’ worth of sewage being dumped into Moreton Bay.
Up to 98% of the bay is covered in the hazardous material, which has also reached Moreton, North Stradbroke, and Bribie Islands.
Experts have cautioned that materials and microplastics in the mud could damage coral and seagrass, which are important fish food sources, and possibly prove lethal to the local marine life.
In addition, the muck may trigger harmful algal blooms that endanger people.
”When it is blooming there is certainly advice not to go into those waters because it can be an irritant to the skin,” said Dr. Alistair Grinham.
The health risks associated with swimming in the bay are advised to the public.
