Cape Town - Milnerton residents have raised the alarm over health risks they are experiencing which they suspect are being caused or influenced by the pollution of the Milnerton Lagoon and its ecological disaster.
At the third quarterly Milnerton Lagoon stakeholders’ meeting on Monday night, March 13, a number of residents complained of recurring conjunctivitis, sinusitis and other health impacts which appeared to be worsening.
Caroline Marx, director of Rethink The Stink and environmental head of Milnerton Central Residents Association, said their concerns were not just about the foul odour from the lagoon, but that this odour contained highly toxic hydrogen sulphide, and after having an industry monitor installed in her home she was disturbed by the readings it gave.
“This is not just a foul odour, it is a very real health risk with many people, including myself, reporting adverse side-effects,” Marx said.
While taking her antibiotics, resident Caronne de Vet, from Woodbridge Island, said she had recurring conjunctivitis and after taking a second course of the medication was still not recovering.
Dr Michelle Maartens, also a resident and a health practitioner from Milnerton, said De Vet was not the only one from the area having struggles with conjunctivitis.
Others were also experiencing more frequent sinusitis and asthma flare-ups because of the fumes they were living in, which she said were definitely affecting their health.
At the meeting, lifeguard and Milnerton resident Mariel Buys added that the lagoon was an ecosystem that impacted the beach and, as result, also impacted the health and safety of beach users such as herself and other lifeguards.
In response to these complaints, Community Services and Health Mayco member Patricia van der Ross said a procurement process was under way for equipment to establish a hydrogen sulphide monitoring site at Woodbridge Island – it is anticipated that this site would be commissioned by the end of May this year.
Meanwhile, the City’s coastal management unit appointed a team of experts to investigate the possible aeration of the lagoon ecosystem to address the odour and improve oxygen levels.
“The draft report on aeration suggests that diffuse aeration of the lagoon between Otto du Plessis bridge and Woodbridge would possibly be most effective to alleviate the noxious odours emanating from the anaerobic microbial action. The final report on the way forward is expected by the end of March 2023,” Van der Ross said.