A toxic algae crisis has left half a million people without safe drinking water, as blooms continue to spread across the United States. The poison-producing slime has been implicated in dog deaths and illnesses in several states, including California, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. In August, a bloom on Lake Erie grew to 620 square miles.
Experts attribute the surge in harmful algae blooms to climate change and nutrient pollution. Anne Schechinger, a senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), said: 'We believe climate change is really having a huge impact on the occurrence and growth of these blooms.' The EWG reports that algae outbreaks have increased by 22% compared to the same period last year.
Harmful algae blooms can create 'dead zones' by depriving aquatic life of oxygen, ruin tourism, and produce toxins that can kill. However, there are currently no federal limits on algae-produced toxins in drinking water, which are classified as 'unregulated contaminants'. Monitoring is left largely to state agencies, many of which lack resources.
Dr Don Anderson of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute described algae as 'formidable competitors' made more dangerous by warming water. He noted that some research links cyanobacteria exposure to neurological diseases like ALS, but more study is needed.
The most cost-effective solution is to reduce nutrient runoff from farms and cities through buffer zones, but these are not legally required. Even then, legacy nutrients stored in sediments can fuel blooms. 'A lot of the damage has already been done,' Anderson warned.
