2. Rowing through the algae pollution

Fishermen rowed their boat through an algae-filled lake.

It may look like a masterpiece of Van Gogh but according to Avax News, it is actually real-life fishermen rowing their boat in the algae-filled Chaohu Lake in Hefei, Anhui Province on June 19, 2009. Water pollution in China is a no shocker. China’s water supplies have gotten so degraded, especially since half of its rivers and lakes are extremely filthy and polluted. China has already invested about $7.4 billion for the construction of the water treatments for the country’s eight rivers, which include the Chaohu Lake. China’s goal is to provide about $850 billion to improve the water supplies in the country and another $170 billion for environmental protection in the next five years, which experts believe may do little to reverse the damage done by decades of pollution and overuse.

 3. Gnat attack

A giant swarm of gnats attacked an entire province.

Another disturbing effect of water pollution in China happened at the East Lake of Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province on November 27, 2009. According to The Guardian, a great swarm of gnats, small biting flies or mosquito-like midges, gathered on the railings along the lake. The heavy polluted waters stank of seasonal nutrients that the gnats, Chironomidae, are often attracted to. They appear due to the stench of water pollution and they leave once the temperature drops, which may take a month according to experts. If you think a typical home fly is disturbing, imagine a swarm of flies invading your neighborhood!