BC-OLY--Rio 2016-Filthy Water,ADVISORY
Editors and News Directors:
A new round of testing by The Associated Press shows that Rio de Janeiro's Olympic waterways are as rife with pathogens far offshore as they are nearer land, where raw sewage flows from fetid rivers and storm drains. That means there's no less risk to the health of athletes like sailors competing farther from the shore in what one health expert calls "an extreme environment."
In July, the AP reported that its first round of tests showed disease-causing viruses directly linked to human sewage at levels up to 1.7 million times what would be considered highly alarming in the U.S. or Europe.
Olympic and World Health Organization officials have flip-flopped on promises they would carry out viral testing in the wake of the AP's July report and the AP's most recent tests show that the water is even more widely contaminated than previously known.
This story, Rio 2016-Filthy Water, is part of the AP's ongoing examination of water contamination in Rio de Janeiro, host of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
-Text: The 1,950-word story moves at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT) Wednesday and will be available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. An abridged version also will be available by 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT). They are accompanied by a 900-word sidebar, OLY-Rio-2016--Filthy Water-Broken Promises.
-Photos: A package of photos will move to PhotoStream. Photo numbers: XSI301-319. All images will be placed on the AP Images site.
-Video: Will be released on Media Port, VideoHub, AP Video-US and Online Video at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0501 GMT). Online video is also available in Spanish and Portuguese.
-Interactive: An interactive about water pollution in Rio de Janeiro. Preview link: http://interactives.ap.org/2015/brazil-water/
Questions: Editorial questions can be directed to International Investigations Editor Trish Wilson, 202-641-9773 or twilson@ap.org.
For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477.
-The AP