Beware of Greeks Bearing Water

OINOFYTA, GREECE — Ten years ago the Asopos River started turning purple, and this year tests showed that it is contaminated with chromium 6.

Now residents of this small town, about 35 miles north of Athens, are wondering if the drinking water source is to blame for some recent cancer deaths.

Apparently factories have been discarding waste into the river for many years, but there was never an official warning about the water.

According to the town’s priest, the number of cancer deaths has risen 32 percent since 1989.
For years a biochemical engineer and the priest, Father Yannis, campaigned to get authorities to look into the matter.

Engineer Thanasis Panteloglou said in the story, “In the beginning, , no one was listening. Authorities were in denial.”