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Jayme Carlton

April 22, 2016

English Comp 101

Dr. M

Toxic Algae

In large bodies of water and even in smaller bodies of

water, you find all different kinds of plants and animals.

These plants and animals are all part of an ecosystem,

and this ecosystem is in constant danger because of toxic

algae.

Toxic algae has plagued the Earth since it was created, but where exactly do these blooms

come from and what do they do? Well it can happen when normal algae growth grows out of

control and produce harmful toxins. Now two questions arise, one: what makes them grow out of

control, and two: what do these harmful toxins do? In this essay I will answer these two

questions. I will also discuss what happens to the economy when there is a toxic algae outbreak

and what kind of impact that it has on families.

Toxic algae has been around long before humans inhabited the Earth now that does not

mean we have not helped contribute to the excess growth. According to Environmental

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Leverage, the factors that influence algae growth are:

sunlight, excess nutrients, and excess BOD (Biochemical

Oxygen Demand), aeration and excess levels of CO2.

Humans contribute to the excess CO2 by; burning coal, oil,

gases and deforestation. The BOD is the amount of

dissolved oxygen needed to by aerobic biological

organisms to break down organic material. This is

important because it tells you which ecosystems will be able to support life. (Linda S. Magenis,

editor of Rensselaer)

Some studies have shown that “overfeeding” is linked to HABs, and this occurs when

nutrients (mainly CO2, phosphorus, and carbons) leaks into

the water supply, feeding the algae that is already living

there. (Ocean Service, NOAA) Outbreaks can also be caused from excess rainfall, causing the

running water to become sluggish, and not circulate correctly. Acid rain, caused by nutrient

pollution in the air, damage rivers, lakes, streams and oceans.

I remember a time when my family and I went on vacation to a lake. The website had

pictures of beautiful trees and sprawling hills. The water was a deep green, the kind you

associate with lake water. We drove for hours to visit, and when we got there, the lake smelled

awful and the water was green with nasty floating pieces of smelly algae. There were dead fish

on the top of the algae. There was a sign posted that said we were not allowed to swim or fish.

A dog is swimming in the river, and there was a sign posted that said no swimming.

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This can have a negative impact on the ecosystem, and it can also hurt the economy. The

spread of Toxic algae has dominated the west coast,

spreading from the bottom of California up to the top

Alaska. It has spread into the Gulf of Mexico, which closes

down the beaches surrounding the area, and made it unsafe

to swim. According to Earth Justice, a company dedicated

to stopping the spread of toxic algae in Florida, say that the

main cause of these algae blooms is the poison of

untreated water that resides next to water treatment plants

that have fertilizer, manure, and inadequately treated

water.

 

Toxic algae can create dead zones in oceans and lakes, it can sicken and even kill people

and animals, and it raises treatment cost for drinking water treatment Plants. A dead zone is

hypoxic, meaning low oxygen, areas in oceans and lakes. These zones are caused by “excessive

nutrient pollution from human activities among other factors that deplete the oxygen required to

support most Marine life. (NOAA) There are over 166 documented dead zones nationwide,

affecting the Gulf of Mexico, and the Chesapeake bay to name a few. Although the Gulf of

Mexico is the largest dead zone reported. In 2013 it was reported that over 5,840 square feet of

the Gulf was a dead zone.

According to the National Oceanic and

Atmosphere Administration, direct exposure to toxic

algae can cause: rashes, stomach or liver illness,

This is a diagram of what happens to create toxic algae and hypoxic dead zones.

This is a compare and contrast to what this river looked like before the

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respiratory problems and even some neurological problems. This can come from touching,

drinking or inhaling the fumes that toxic algae gives off. There is a component in toxic algae

called nitrates which are more commonly found in fertilizer, if ingested by a young child, will

make them severely ill, and may kill them. The symptoms could include shortness of breath, and

blue tinted skin which is also known as Blue Baby Syndrome.

This is a compare and contrast to what this river looked like before the

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We try and treat the water at water treatment plants but there are some complications and

side effects to this method. When

disinfectants used to treat water react to the

toxic algae, harmful chemicals called

dioxins can be created. These are linked to

reproductive and developmental health risks

and even cancer. The symptoms that

humans receive from Red Tides and blooms

are: coughing, sneezing, skin irritations,

burning eyes and repertory issues (higher risk if you’re

asthmatic.) Although you can swim during certain tides

and blooms, it is not recommended, and if you do, you are

asked to wash off with fresh water. This is the effect that toxic algae has on humans, but it also

affects the ecosystem, but in what way? (Environmental Protection Agency, EPA) “Nutrient

pollution fuels the growth of harmful algae, which devastates the aquatic ecosystem.” (EPA)

TIME magazine had wrote a story 45 years ago about the toxic algae outbreak in Lake Erie, and

they blamed it on dissolved phosphorus caused from agricultural farm lands. Every couple of

years there is a new outbreak, but the most recent was from July 28, 2015. This is an aerial view

of what the low level algae outbreak looked like, but even though it was considered lower level,

it left 500,000 people unable to drink their tap water. Drinking the water could have made them

very ill or could have resulted in someone dying.

There are many different colors of Toxic Algae outbreaks, such as red, and blue green,

brown and green. The most toxic of these algae is the Red Tide, and it can cause some serious

This is an aerial view of Lake Erie on July 28, 2015 during the biggest outbreak of toxic algae that they had. Left 500,000 people without tap water.

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damage. The most common type of algae is the Cyanobacteria, or commonly known as the Blue-

Green Algae. In Ohio, these are found mostly in slow moving water, or small ponds. Though this

algae is not actually toxic, it causes algae to become toxic, by taking the oxygen out of the water.

According to Dr. Richard Stumpf, who graduated with his PhD in Marine studies and in

Environmental Education from the University of Delaware, “Swim in it [Lake Erie] and at a

minimum, your intestines will be hurting.” He is in charge of studying the toxic algae blooms

that occur in Lake Erie, and he determined that toxic cyanobacteria was the leading cause of this

most recent outbreak.

This picture is of an algae called

Lingulodinium polyedrum, and while the effects

that this algae has on humans is still being

evaluated, the effect on fish and other animals is

a high mortality rate. It has also been determined

that toxic algae is fatal to dogs, and all water

dogs are required to stay away from the infected

waters.

There are cases from all over the world and here in our home town of these toxic algae

outbreaks. In the Ohio River, over 600 miles of Harmful Algae Blooms were discovered, that’s

over four states worth. This ended up canceling the annual Great River Swim last summer. Every

year in Cincinnati Ohio, there is something called the Annual River Swim. It’s for the inner city

schools to raise money for their students, and to show them (the students) how much fun the

outdoors are. There are a lot of students that look forward to this swim.

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From the bottom of California to the top of Alaska was a large outbreak of algae,

which shut down some small fishermen’s businesses.

“This outbreak is particularly bad in Monterey Bay.

The researchers from Monterey Bay Aquarium

Research Institute, or MBARI, measured some of the

highest concentrations of harmful algae ever.”

(MBARI) The researchers form MBARI are

dedicated to finding out what casues these blooms, what can they do to stop them, and to predict

how big the next bloom will be. This is based on the evidence that they gather from the data they

use.

Along the coast there has been an increase of Dolphin, pelican and fish deaths. California

usually closes down any fishing activity from May until October due to the high toxicity levels

that these blooms create. The researchers at MBARI

believe that the amount of snow that the Northwest

had is linked to the outbreak of the algae. This would

cause the water to slow down and become hypoxic.

The Kareria Brevis is a red algae that is found

in Florida and the Carolinas, and this Dinoflagellate

produces a suite of polyether neurotoxins, called

brevotoxins that cause a severe impact to natural

resources and public health. The impacts include:

massive fish kills, marine mammal, sea turtle and sea

bird mortalities, benthic community die-off and public health effects from shellfish

This is a picture that was taken from the Lake Erie, Harmful Algae Bloom in 2015

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contamination and inhalation of air-borne toxins. The impacts of this algae for humans is stated

earlier in this essay, with the human affects.

Fisherman can lose their fishing season, which causes them to lose money. According to

the NOAA “Coastal Harmful Algae Blooms have been estimated to result in economic impacts

in the United States in at least 82 million dollars each year.” Between the losses of jobs, the

cleanup that is required to take place, toxic algae blooms really have an adverse effect on our

ecosystem and our economy.

When there is a toxic algae

outbreak, the fishing business shuts down.

One man by the name of John Mellor,

captain of High Hopes, a fishing boat in

Oregon, says “I do not have any money, or

income! We try not to spend money and

hope to make it through.” He is one of many fishermen

that have lost a fishing season due to an outbreak of

toxic algae blooms. (Utehs pg. 1) The crabs are testing high for Domoic acid. Domoic acid is a

Domoic acid is a kainic acid analog neurotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning. It is

produced by algae and accumulates in shellfish, sardines, and anchovies Exposure to this bio

toxin affects the brain, causing the person to become lethargic, disoriented, and have seizures

that can result in serious injury or even death

Red Tides are spreading up the West

coast, and along Florida’s coast line. These are

A lake recently awash with toxic algae

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considered the most dangerous of all the algae’s. The symptoms that humans receive from Red

Tides and blooms are: coughing, sneezing, skin irritations, burning eyes and repertory issues

(higher risk if you’re asthmatic.) Although you can swim during certain tides and blooms, it is

not recommended, and if you do, you are asked to wash off with fresh water. They are also the

cause of many Dolphin deaths, along with the manatee which is an endangered species.

(Preserving our coastal waters page one)

There are two main reasons for

having an outbreak, and that’s

a storm, or a drought. The

picture on the right shows you

what it will look like for a lake

once its rained. The bloom

field is high in concentration,

and quiet scattered.

the one below is a bloom on

a drought month. Its not as high, but

it is still very concentrated, and this

is because the water isn’t being

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circulated properly through the river, mixed with sunlight and fertilizer you get a high

concentration of blooms.

There are many different problems that arise with a toxic algae outbreak, but there are also many

different solutions. If we all worked together than we would be able to clear the lakes of some,

not all, but some of the algae that plagues it. If we were to catch the Blue-Green Algae before it

stops the circulation of oxygen through the water, we may be able to preserve the life that lives

in the lake. According to the Department of Ecology, Algae Control Program, we can use sodium

carbonate peroxyhydrate. Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate is EPA approved and is a fast acting

algaecide or algae killer. This does not kill the algae right away, but instead inhibits their growth,

which prevents more bloom formation. This product is used to treat the outbreak in ponds, lakes,

reservoirs and even our drinking water. This is how we can stop huge outbreaks from happening,

knowing about them, and finding a solution.