Beer factory leak turns Okinawa port red

Hopefully no beer was lost.

sinister shade of scarlet

sinister????? scarlet????? yellow 'journalism' anyway!

The red does look venomous, but it's a relief to learn it's just food coloring and not likely to cause major damage," wrote a Twitter user under the name Aresu.

Problem 1: Twitter comments cited as scientific evidence.

Propylene glycol has been pointed towards in other circumstances for harm

Problem 2:

In a statement, it apologized for "causing enormous trouble and worry".

The environmental knock on effects will be a taxpayer funded cleanup effort that will not go away with bows and worries.

Looks like a blood bath out of a war scene in a hilly woods movie

The red water poses no danger to humans or the marine ecosystem, the Yomiuri newspaper also quoted the company as saying

And yet Propylene glycol is banned in Europe. Red food dye is the least of it though that at least should be harmless.

Propylene glycol, according to Wikipedia "is used to make other glycols and polyester resins, as a solvent, and in pharmaceuticals, brake and hydraulic fluids, automotive antifreeze, flavorings and perfumes." It is banned in European EU because of the harmful side effects when ingested in large doses.

From WebMD:

Most processed foods contain at least some propylene glycol. While it is a low-toxicity substance, you may develop health complications if you eat foods that have it in large quantities. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid products that contain the substance. Instead, eat more fresh whole foods.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-about-propylene-glycol-in-foods

The red water poses no danger to humans or the marine ecosystem, 

If this is do why is this chemical banned in the EU? The local fishery must be very concerned.

They weren't reddy in time to prevent it

OOPS!

Let's hope it really posses no real threat or damage to the ecosystem or environment. Because usually they would say "Its all cooll! Nothing to worry about!" just to keep people from worrying. But then you'd start hearing about new outbreaks or skin problems.

Kampai!

Gave up beer this year.

Tears in my beers

Is there any tritium in it?

Well, at least we learned something new, yellow beer is in fact red colored food. lol

Wow! It seems that the media is really having a field day in Okinawa right now!

It seems that the cooling system, which is using propylene glycol, leaked and flowed some red dye with it. In other words, the propylene glycol is just used for the cooling system, they don't put it in beer, so you can relax and have a few cold ones. Not Orion though, too light in my opinion

“It’s harmless.. I think” says a company spokesman and not a marine biologist

hello greenpeace...

Although the FDA “generally recognizes” propylene glycol as safe, the EU had no hesitation to place a ban on the chemical because of the harmful side effects in large doses, such as the case of this man who experienced central nervous system depression after ingesting too much whiskey that contained propylene glycol.

Edit: now I fully understood what happened, the cooling liquid was propylene glycol containing a red dye, for the workers to know it is not simple water. This cooling liquid spilled into the water. Now, to assess potential damage, the company/article should mention how much was spilled, and what was the concentration of propylene glycol in the affected water

I wonder if that's near the Manko swamp

"The red does look venomous,..........

Interesting misuse of the word venomous.

Venomous - (of an animal, especially a snake) secreting venom, or capable of injecting venom by means of a bite or sting.

That's antifreeze isn't it, probably being used here as a refrigerant.

Anyway, not "harmless", especially when we are talking an amount large enough to make a river turn red. The food colouring itself might be harmless, beetroot extract or something.

Harmless eh?

So why are my mechanics banned from pouring engine coolant down the drain?

I wonder if that's near the Manko swamp

Not so hard to pull up a map on google and check Nago and the Manko Wetlands area in Naha.

For those that downvoted in opposition to my announcement that Okinawa is both tropical and subtropical -

For anyone that actually cares whether they get voted either way, up or down, maybe it's time for them to reconsider posting anything here at all!

Just be satisfied that someone actually read what you wrote. If you have been alive over 50 years, and you still care about how people think about you or your opinion, and you expect others to blindly accept what you write, you may have grown up in years, but you still are sitting at a level 5 or 6 emotionally.

The red water poses no danger to humans or the marine ecosystem, the Yomiuri newspaper also quoted the company as saying.

Absolute BS.

Absolute BS.

No, unlike glycol that would actually be harmful to humans and the ecosystem.

Harmless eh?

Yup, glycol is even biodegradable.

The red dye makes it look spectacularly dangerous, but that's the actual point of the dye.

So why are my mechanics banned from pouring engine coolant down the drain?

Because glycol consumes high amounts of oxygen when it degrades, and that can seriously impair the function of sewage treatment plants. There's a bunch of non-toxic stuff that you're still not supposed to put down the drain.

Roy Sophveason

Absolute BS.

No, unlike glycol that would actually be harmful to humans and the ecosystem.

Propylene Glycol most certainly is harmful to humans and the ecosystem in more than the most miniscule amounts. And, the amount in that water is well above miniscule, if there was enough to turn such a large body such a deep red.

Propylene Glycol most certainly is harmful to humans and the ecosystem in more than the most miniscule amounts.

That is incorrect. Glycol is rated "GRAS", "generally recognized as safe" to use in food, medicine and cosmetics. You'd have to be stupid enough and drink an ice pack for an actually harmful dose.

Are you thinking of ethylene glycol perhaps? That one is highly toxic.

And, the amount in that water is well above miniscule, if there was enough to turn such a large body such a deep red.

Again, that's the dye. Have you seen how little dye you need to colour a huge amount of water?

Case in point: You know how they dye the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's day?

At least it wasn't Dolphin blood, so it's tolerable.

Whenever I hear the news of red sea in Japan, I think of Japan's annual dolphin hunt.

could be worse...could be water from Fukushima

I guess this is not the same glycol used for engine coolers in cars. That is deadly poisounous. Killed our dog.

Roy Sophveason

That is incorrect. Glycol is rated "GRAS", "generally recognized as safe" to use in food, medicine and cosmetics.

Rated GRAS by the FDA, which has been more of a tool of the industry it is supposed to regulate than a protector of the people against such industries.

In Europe, it is only allowed to be used in food as a solvent for colors, emulsifiers, antioxidants and enzymes, with up to 1 gram/kg allowed in the final food product. (otherwise known a a "miniscule amount")

You'd have to be stupid enough and drink an ice pack for an actually harmful dose.

The World Health Organization recommends a maximum intake of 25mg of propylene glycol per kg of body weight per day. (The estimated exposure to propylene glycol through foods in the US is 34 mg/kg per day, almost 40% higher than the recommended limit.)

Are you thinking of ethylene glycol perhaps? That one is highly toxic.

That is much worse, of course. But, doesn't negate the toxicity of propylene glycol, even if it is way less toxic.

(Not all that different from carbon monoxide v. carbon dioxide. Sure, the former is way more dangerous than the latter. But, the latter still needs to be removed from the air in spacecraft and submarines to avoid suffocation.)

Again, that's the dye. Have you seen how little dye you need to colour a huge amount of water?

Case in point: You know how they dye the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's day?

A small amount of dye is typically used in PG. That water is deep red. So, quite a lot of PG must have been released for that small amount of dye to turn that body such a deep red.

BTW, the Chicago river uses ~50kg of a plant-based environmentally-friendly dye. Can the same be said for whatever the chemical company who manufactured this anti-freeze product used to color it red?

I think a lot of speculation on the environmental effect of this mishap could be confirmed one way or another, if they would publicly state exactly how much of the PG antifreeze was released. If it really was just a small amount, then you and the corporate mouthpiece are right. If it was a large amount, then there certainly is a negative environmental impact.

The World Health Organization recommends a maximum intake of 25mg of propylene glycol per kg of body weight per day. (The estimated exposure to propylene glycol through foods in the US is 34 mg/kg per day, almost 40% higher than the recommended limit.)

That's actually a good example of arbitrary limits in safety regulations. PG is one of the substances where they actually don't know how much is too much, they just know some anecdotal cases where the subject was being so stupid it's hard to tell how much of the damage is actually due to the PG. So they choose the "best guess and then let's divide it by ten" approach. This is done for a surprising amount of substances.

And again, yes, PG can be toxic (and "toxic" does not mean "deadly"!). An often cited case showed toxicity symptoms after some 200 g of PG a day -- literally the amount in the ice pack I mentioned before.

I think a lot of speculation on the environmental effect of this mishap could be confirmed one way or another

Absolutely. But I believe it's no cause for panic or hysteria. If it really was a big health problem you'd probably be able to tell from fish floating on the surface.

Luckily I changed my ticket. Love Okinawa and the sea. And the local people.

Luckily I changed my ticket.

Now this really needs some elaboration. Because a random water body in Nago Bay is dyed red for a few days you changed your ... plane ticket? Train ticket? Subway ticket? Lottery ticket?

Fish with beer breath. Might be a new delicacy.

Although the FDA “generally recognizes” propylene glycol as safe, the EU had no hesitation to place a ban on the chemical because of the harmful side effects in large doses, such as the case of this man who experienced central nervous system depression after ingesting too much whiskey that contained propylene glycol.

I can't imagine much marine life surviving long in that.

Never trust the perpetrator, always get an second a third and a fourth opinion as to what caused so much water to turn well , I'll accept "venomous"

Propylene Glycol most certainly is harmful to humans and the ecosystem in more than the most miniscule amounts. And, the amount in that water is well above miniscule, if there was enough to turn such a large body such a deep red.

It is commonly used to freeze proof fresh water systems in motorhomes, trave trailers and even homes that are for sale and unoccupied. It's harmless. Ethylene glycol is the stuff that kills you.

Fish with beer breath. Might be a new delicacy.

And coated in beer batter then fried :)