Your correct. Leaking oil from vehicles on the main highways and city streets eventually finds it way into the storm and sanitary sewers and makes it way to the nearest watercourse or the ocean. The oil gets heavily diluted by the intense rainfall and dissipates quickly once it enters the water. Most times it’s in the form of oil sheen, so thin you can’t clean it up and natural processes like wind, sunlight, and wave action break it down.
The problem in Bocochica and Juan Dolio is different. The deposition of refined fuels, gasoline and diesel, in continuous concentrated amounts has more severe impacts. My original post outlined some of those. The major concern here is the carcinogenic effects of the light ends such as benzene in petroleum. Benzene Is a proven carcinogen, a cancer causing agent. Retail gasoline pumps in Canada have warnings posted about the carcinogenic potential of petroleum products.
The impact in Bocachica is layered. Exposure to the vendors, exposure to the microorganisms in the beach sediment, exposure to birds eating the microorganisms on the beach , exposure to the benthic organisms living in the sand near the coastline, ( mussels, clams, etc.) and exposure to the birds, fish, and shellfish that eat those organisms, and the people who eat those fish and shellfish.
Whats happening there is not only bad aesthetically, it’s also very bad for human health. It should be a priority for DR health enforcement if there is a DR health enforcement agency.
The uncontrolled garbage dumping is also a concern. Those bags contain pathogens like salmonella. Dogs ripping the bags open and eating the waste are creating piles of pathogen infected fecal waste. Another health concern.
Nothing will be done until the problem is a headache for the local politicians.That’s the DR way.
