A biologist has urged people to dispose of their waste properly after discovering a 30-year-old plastic bag in a lagoon.
Mário Moscatelli found the bag of sugar, with its expiry date still clearly visible, during a survey of the lagoon on Monday (13 Oct).
Remarkably, it had developed its own mini-ecosystem, with mussels, barnacles, and algae clinging to it.
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Standing on the lagoon’s littered bank, Moscatelli told the camera, “The environment is also archaeology.
“We’ve just found this bag of sugar – no less, no more – let’s see… 28 February 1995. Floating here in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.”
Moscatelli runs an environmental consultancy, Manglares, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as reported by Need To Know.
The company focuses on the protection, restoration, and creation of wetlands, which are vital for water balance and supporting biodiversity.
He continued: “Do the maths: this crap has been floating here for 30 years. You’ve got barnacles, mussels – an entire ecosystem.”
The Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon suffers from a chronic problem of fish die-offs, caused by algae blooms that deplete oxygen in the water.
Back in 2015, 13 rowers from the US team fell ill after competing in the Junior World Rowing Championships.
Doctors suspected the lagoon’s water had triggered vomiting and nausea among the athletes.
Recent studies have found microplastic and metal contamination in the lagoon and its sediments.
Moscatelli concluded: “So, friends, it’s time to change this situation. It’s not just up to the government; it depends on the choices we make every day.”
