Gaza Sewage Fuels 31-Mile Algae Blob That Poisons Drinking Water
A record algae bloom stretching up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) has hit the coasts of Israel and Gaza, disrupting drinking water supplies as untreated sewage from destroyed infrastructure feeds the outbreak.
A record-sized algae bloom has struck the coasts of Israel and Gaza, stretching up to 50 kilometers (about 31 miles) and disrupting drinking water supplies, according to Haaretz [1].
Researchers suspect the destruction of Gaza's infrastructure and a warmer sea are behind the outbreak, the report said. Untreated sewage releases phosphorus and nitrogen — the main nutrients that feed algae growth [1].
"Untreated sewage discharge contains phosphorus and nitrogen, which are the most important building blocks for algal blooms," said Agnes Karlsson, associate professor of ecotoxicology at Stockholm University [1].
The bloom adds to the water emergency facing Palestinians in Gaza, where years of blockade and repeated military destruction have crippled sewage treatment and desalination systems. Much of the enclave's wastewater flows untreated into the Mediterranean, feeding the nutrients that fuel the algae.
The finding points to a public health threat that crosses the coastline: contaminated water supplies, disrupted drinking water, and a marine ecosystem under strain. Researchers link the scale of the outbreak to the war's damage to sanitation infrastructure, meaning the environmental fallout from the assault on Gaza is now spreading along the shore.