Toxic Seaweed off Brittany Beach in France Deadly for Terrestrial Life

Most of the beaches in Brittany in western France are plagued by masses of green seaweed, a complex form of marine algae.

The seaweed has been known to give off strong toxic gases as it starts decomposing. Inhalation of these fumes may take a toll on human health and can cause death, doctors have warned.

Environmentalists blame the farming practices followed in the region responsible for the situation.

In this regard, members of various ecology groups took part in a fresh protest against toxic seaweed on the beach of Cap Coz near the town of Fousnant in Brittany on Saturday.

Demonstrators presented the point of view of French farmers while they protested at one of the many beaches in the region weighed down by stacks of green seaweed, Reuters reported.

Protestors urged France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon to reduce intensive farming in Brittany and limit the runoff of agricultural waste.

“Help farmers to produce Bio, their placards read.

The seaweed has been clogging beaches in Brittany for a couple of years. Decaying seaweed releases hydrogen sulfide, a highly toxic gas, which can prove deadly in some cases.

In 2010, a driver of a carrier of the seaweed reportedly died due to exposure to massive dose of hydrogen sulfide released from it in Brittany.

According to scientists, the seaweeds are as deadly for animals as for humans. In another case in July 2009, a horse died at a beach in Brittany.