After a major fire in the Sano Plastic Factory in Hod Hasharon (makers of many of the cleaning products and supplies you can find in Israeli supermarkets), the effluent from their chemical operations and the residue from fighting the fire was discharged into the Yarkon River after causing the local sewage treatment factory to break down from the quantity and concentration of chemicals. Zalul Environmental Association sent staff member Tzvika Forer to photograph the incident on Monday, but by the time he arrived at the scene much of the visible pollution had disappeared (though the strong, stinky odor was still very much present and filling the air around the river and in the surrounding neighborhoods). 

 

On November 12, 2008, Zalul's Deputy Director, Sagit Rogenstein, took a bike ride from the Zalul office in Ramat Gan along the Ayalon and Yarkon Rivers and photographed the latest side effect of the pollution: Thousands of dead fish. This sort of pollution has an impact not just on the fish in the river, but also the birds and animals that feed on the fish. It also poses a major public health risk and particularly affects fisherman, beachgoers, and surfers.

 

Here are some more photographs and video of the aftermath: