Mounds of festering bags of filth line the streets of many Southeast Louisiana neighborhoods. Many of those bags haven’t been touched in weeks and there’s a concern that they now pose a threat to public health.
LSU Health New Orleans Director of Environmental Health Sciences Dr. James Diaz told WWL that the rotting filth sure is smelly, but that smell isn’t just offensive to the senses.
“Those are chemicals in the atmosphere including methane and also hydrogen sulfide,” said Diaz who added that you really don’t want to inhale much of it. “Both of these gasses are deleterious in the atmosphere and could trigger asthmatic attacks or bronchitis, that’s air pollution.”
Many of those bags are full of food that went bad when the power went out. That food has now been stewing in the Louisiana heat for weeks, creating a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria.
“One of the most common bacteria that will concentrate in the garbage is salmonella, which can be transmitted by flies,” said Diaz. “If they are feeding in the garbage and they land on your hamburger and French fries then you could get serious disease from salmonella or shigella.”
Those bags aren’t just full of rotting food. Many contain cleaning products or other chemical containers that were tossed out after the storm.
“You could have hazardous waste piling up in all of these debris piles, which includes things like paint, toluene, and all kinds of fluids, all of which can get into the ground water and contaminate ground water,” said Diaz.
Diaz also warned uncollected garbage is a magnet for insects like red ants and animals like rats and coyotes, which could be hostile.
Anyone who is immune compromised is highly encouraged not to handle these bags.