Toxic algae bloom causes water problems for summer swimmers
Due to harmful algal blooms, bathing warnings are being issued for lakes and rivers throughout the country.
Blue-green algae were discovered in Lake Ashby on Tuesday and the Florida Department of Health is urging the public to be cautious in the area as toxins may be present.
Officials are taking water samples from the lake, which is located in southern Volusia County northeast of Osteen.
Some algae – “plant-like organisms that sustain life in the sea” – can overgrow and cause algal blooms. Some of these algal blooms can spread toxins that are harmful to people, animals and ecosystems, the health department said.
“There are several species of blue-green algae (also called cyanobacteria) that can be found in Florida’s fresh and brackish waters., Many of them can potentially produce toxins,” says the health department.
Contact with blue-green algae can cause illness in humans, “causing skin rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. People who are very sensitive to smells may experience respiratory irritation. Sometimes high levels of the toxin can also affect the liver and nervous system.”
Blue-green algae blooms are not just blue and green. They can contain a variety of colors, including brown and red. They look like streaks of color on the water’s surface, like “dense foam” or scum, and they can smell.
Anyone who believes they are ill or have come into contact with blue-green algae should contact a doctor or the Florida Poison Information Center at 1-800-222-1222.
The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County has issued the following tips:
- Do not drink, swim, wade, use watercraft, water ski, or boat in water where an oil bloom is visible.
- Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you come into contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.
- Keep pets away from the area. Waters with algal blooms are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have an alternative source of water during algal blooms.
- Do not cook or flush with water contaminated by algal blooms. Boiling the water will not remove the toxins.
- It is safe to eat fillets of healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes with flocculent flora. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water and cook the fish to the correct temperature.
- Do not eat shellfish in waters with algal blooms.
To report algal blooms, call the Florida Department of Environmental Protection at 855-305-3903 or report them online at reportalgalbloom.com. People can talk to a poison specialist about symptoms caused by contact with algal blooms or other aquatic poisons by calling the Florida Poison Information Center at 800-222-1222.
If a pet becomes ill from consuming or coming into contact with algae-contaminated water, a veterinarian should be called.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies collect samples at locations where algal blooms have been reported. Reports can be viewed at floridadep.gov/AlgalBloom and protectingfloridatogether.gov.
