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Harmful Algal BloomsMary P. Skopec, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Regents Resource Center

Cyanobacteria a.k.a. “Blue-Green” AlgaeA quick primer…

• 1 Billion years and going strong• Photosynthetic bacteria

• Can produce green, blue, red, or brown pigments

• Found in fresh and salt water• Many can fix nitrogen (not all)• Resting spores• Mobile – regulate buoyancy• Can harvest nutrients from

sediments• Toxins with >100 variants

Black Hawk Lake, August 2014

How Toxic are Cyanotoxins?

Ricin

Soman

Sarin

Tabun

Rattlesnake Venom

After Chorus and Bartram, 1999; various references

Acute Toxicity Cytotoxic Dermatoxic Hepatotoxic Neurotoxic

Chronic Toxicity Carcinogen Tumor promotor Mutagen Teratogen Embryolethality Neurodegenerative disease

Slide Courtesy of Keith Loftin, USGS

• Human and Animal Health Risks• Hypoxia and Fish Kills• Water Treatment Costs• Lake Aesthetics –Clarity & Smell• Quality of Life

– Recreational Opportunities– Property Values– Tax Revenues– Employment

Impacts of Cyanotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms

Graham and others, 2016, USGS OFR 2016-1174http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161174

Harmful Algal Blooms are a Nationwide Issue

Cyanotoxins Are Detected in All Types of Waterbodies Throughout the Nation

Graham and others, 2016, USGS OFR 2016-1174http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161174

In 1944, an Anabaena bloom in a lake in the Okoboji chain of lakes in Iowa was blown onshore and caused fatal poisoning of pigs and at least one dog that drank from the lake1

Backer et al, Toxins 2013, 5, 1597-1628; doi:10.3390/toxins5091597 1. “Pigs Die after Drinking Water from OKOBOJI”. Vindicator and Republican. Oct 19, 1944.

History of Toxic Algae in Iowa

“Storm Lake in Iowa experienced dramatic bloom events in 1952:

Associated with Anabaena flos–aquae blooms were estimated deaths of 5–7,000 gulls, 560 ducks, 400 coots, 200 pheasants, 50 squirrels, 18 muskrats, 15 dogs, 4 cats, 2 hogs, 2 hawks, 1 skunk, 1 mink, plus “numerous” songbirds.”

Rose E.T. Toxic algae in Iowa lakes. Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci. 1953;60:738–745.

2. “Lake Water not Only Made Dog Sick—It Killed Animal!” LeMars Globe Post. Dec 11, 1952.

3. Firkins, G.S. Toxic algae poisoning. Iowa State Coll. Vet. 1953, 15, 151–153.

Source: Iowa Cattleman

Carter Lake, IA – June 2004

History of IA Bloom MonitoringBig Creek State Park, June 2005

Sampling Protocol (2005-2016)Sampling Design

o Focus on beacheso Weekly sampleso Total microcystino Composite and Discrete (scum) samples

o Designed as survey with rapid turnaroundo Allows for public health decisions to be

madeo 20 µg/L total microcystin threshold level

establishedo Samples collected Monday/Tuesday

o Results usually available Thursday afternoon

Stage 1 – No algal toxin-related advisories

Sample result >2000 ug/L total microcystins?

Sample result >20 ug/L total microcystins?

Stage 2 – Post Warning sign; IDPH notified

Sample result >20 ug/L total microcystins?

Stage 3 – Beach closed; press release issued.

Sample result >2000 ug/L total microcystins?

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes Sample collection and analysis

Sample collection and analysis Three-tiered advisory policy:Based on results from both composite and discrete samples• Stage 1 (no algal toxin-

related advisories)• Stage 2 (advisory) -

sample result exceeds 20 µg/L total microcystins

• Stage 3 (closure) – toxin result > 2000 µg/L; reported health case(s).

Iowa Advisory Policy (2016)

o General information signso Park staff notified

o post advisory signso Iowa Department of Public Health HANo IDNR Beach Monitoring websiteo Beach Monitoring Hotlineo Press releases

Public Notification

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

# of

Adv

isor

ies

Advisory Summary in Iowa(2006-2016)

Number of Lakes with Advisories(2006-2016)

02468

1012141618

# of

Lak

es

Microcystin Cylindrospermopsin4 ug/L 8 ug/L

1. a) Swimming Advisory: not to be exceeded on any day b) Recreational Criteria for Waterbody Impairment: not exceeded more than 10 percent of days per recreational season up to one calendar year.

2. Based on Children’s Recreation Exposure

3. Non-cancer endpoints

4. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-12/documents/draft-hh-rec-ambient-water-swimming-document.pdf

December 2016, EPA published Draft Recreational Criteria for Algal Toxins

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

2013 2014 2015 2016 Total

# of

Asv

isor

ies

> 20 ug/L>4 ug/L

Impact of Changing Microcystin Advisory Threshold

Multiple Toxins Co-Occur in Cyanobacterial Blooms

Graham and others, 2010, ES&T

Little information regarding the effects of ingesting multiple toxin compounds

oThe Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is responsible for tracking illness in humans attributed to microcystin poisoning

Illness Surveillance

oThe Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is responsible for tracking illness in humans attributed to microcystin poisoning

oReporting of suspected cases of microcystinpoisoning required of health care providers

Illness Surveillance

oThe Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is responsible for tracking illness in humans attributed to microcystin poisoning

oReporting of suspected cases of microcystinpoisoning required of health care providers

oThe IDPH works cooperatively with local health care partners in this tracking processoLocal county environmental healthoLocal network of health care providers

Illness Surveillance

10

2 2

4

8

2

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Num

ber

of C

ases

Number of Suspected Cases of Microcystin Poisoning Reported to IDPH

Four of the ten cases in 2011 were at a triathlon

Complaint Type(2011-2016)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Solutions?

Slide: Hans Paerl; UNC; https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-05/documents/paerl_epa_webinar_presentation_5_2014.pdf

An increasing number of studies finding that BOTH nitrogen and phosphorus reductions are needed

1. Xu, H., H. W. Paerl, B. Q. Qin, G. W. Zhu, and G. Gao. 2010. Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs control phytoplankton growth in eutrophic Lake Taihu, China. Limnology and Oceanography 55:420–432.

2. Xu, H., Paerl, H.W., Zhu, G. et al. Hydrobiologia (2017) 787: 229. doi:10.1007/s10750-016-2967-4. Long-term nutrient trends and harmful cyanobacterial bloom potential in hypertrophic Lake Taihu, China.

3. Conley, D. J., H. W. Paerl, R. W. Howarth, D. F. Boesch, S. P. Seitzinger, K. E. Havens, C. Lancelot & G. E. Likens, 2009. Controlling eutrophication: nitrogen and phosphorus. Science 323: 1014–1015.

4. Paerl, H. W., N. S. Hall, and E. S. Calandrino. 2011a. Controlling harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a world experiencing anthropogenic and climaticinduced change. Science of the Total Environment 409:1739–1745.

5. Paerl, H. W., H. Xu, M. J. McCarthy, G. W. Zhu, B. Q. Qin, Y. P. Li, and W. S. Gardner. 2011b. Controlling harmful cyanobacterial blooms in a hyper-eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu, China): The need for a dual nutrient (N & P) management strategy. Water Research 45:1973–1983.

6. Beaulieu Marieke , Pick Frances , Gregory-Eaves Irene , (2013), Nutrients and water temperature are significant predictors of cyanobacterial biomass in a 1147 lakes data set, Limnology and Oceanography, 58, doi: 10.4319/lo.2013.58.5.1736.

“Bioavailability of both N and P during the summer plays a key role in sustaining cyanobacterial blooms.”2

National Lake Assessment (1,2)• Total Nitrogen 1100 ug/L• Total Phosphorus 87 ug/L

Region 7 (3) Lake Benchmarks• Total Nitrogen 700 ug/L• Total Phosphorus 35 ug/L

1. Yuan, L. L. and Pollard, A. I. (2015), Deriving nutrient targets to prevent excessive cyanobacterial densities in U.S. lakes and reservoirs. Freshw Biol, 60: 1901–1916.

2. Yuan, L. L., Pollard, A. I., Pather, S., Oliver, J. L. and D'Anglada, L. (2014), Managing microcystin: identifying national-scale thresholds for total nitrogen and chlorophyll a. Freshw Biol, 59: 1970–1981. doi:10.1111/fwb.12400

3. http://cpcb.ku.edu/media/cpcb/progwg/html/assets/nutrientwg/Lake_RTAG_2011Jun.pdf

Nutrient Goals

Iowa DNR Lake Monitoring Program (138 lakes)• Median Nitrate 1900 ug/L• Median Total Phosphorus 78.3 ug/L

Nutrient Goals: Comparison to Iowa Lakes

Recommendations

1. Monitoring outside of “classic” recreation season and locations (non-beach areas)

1. Pilot monitoring in Okoboji area 2017.2. Add monitoring at County and City beaches3. Expanded testing for other cyanotoxins

(cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxin, anatoxin)4. Increase Public Outreach for Reporting of Illness

Stuart Schmitz, M.S., P.E. State Toxicologist

Iowa Department of Public Health stuart.schmitz@idph.iowa.gov (515) 281-8707

Health InformationAcknowledgements

Mary P. Skopec, Ph.D.Executive Director

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory: Regents Resource CenterUniversity of Iowa

Mary-Skopec@uiowa.edu712-337-3669

Questions?

Rock Creek Lake August 18, 2006