Photos show an Argentinian lagoon turning pink after an apparent chemical leak

• A lagoon in Argentina has turned bright pink last week.
• Experts and activists say a chemical used in fish factories is to blame.
• A local activist said the lagoon's color changed last week, and it was still pink on Sunday.

A lagoon in Argentina's Patagonia region has turned pink after what experts say was a chemical spill.

Experts and activists said the color change in the lagoon in the Chubut region was due to sodium sulfite, an anti-bacterial product used in fish factories, Agence France-Presse reported.

Pablo Lada, an environmental activist who lives in the area, told AFP that he blamed the government: "Those who should be in control are the ones who authorize the poisoning of people."

He said the lagoon's color changed last week, and that it was still pink as of Sunday.

Juan Micheloud, the head of the environmental control for the Chubut province, told AFP last week that the chemicals and resulting color change were not damaging: "The reddish color does not cause damage and will disappear in a few days."