The Sea of Japan Dyed Blood Red... "Cooling Water Has Leaked"

Okinawa Beer Factory Cooling Water and Preservative Leakage
Characteristic of Turning Red to Indicate Leakage

At a beer factory in Okinawa, Japan, cooling water leaked and caused the nearby sea to turn red, drawing attention.

According to local media such as the Yomiuri Shimbun and TBS News on the 27th (local time), cooling water containing propylene glycol, a type of food additive, leaked at the Orion Beer factory in Nago City, Okinawa, that morning.

Propylene glycol is a preservative that prevents mold from spreading on food. It is used as a quality preservation agent in various food factories. It is usually a colorless and transparent liquid.

The fishing port area around Nago City, Okinawa, is dyed red.
[Image source=Twitter]

However, cooling water containing propylene glycol is characterized by turning red upon leakage to immediately indicate the leak. Because of this, when the cooling water flowed into the nearby sea, the seawater surface was seen turning red.

The beer factory reportedly repaired the leak around 9:30 a.m. that day. A factory official told the Yomiuri Shimbun, "The cooling water is harmless to humans and does not affect the marine environment," but also bowed deeply and said, "We sincerely apologize for causing great concern and trouble."

The sea dyed red. [Image source=Twitter]

Orion Beer, which owns the beer factory, plans to implement leak prevention measures using sensors to detect liquid leaks in the future.

Meanwhile, local netizens who learned of the accident reacted with fascination at the sight of the fishing port near the sea turning red. One netizen shared a video of the accident site, saying, "This is the first time I've seen the sea like this." Comments such as "Will the fish meat turn red too?" and "The fishermen must have been surprised" were also made.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.