Blue-Green Algae Blooms May Contaminate Lakes
Written by Comms Team, June 22, 2023
Residents Advised to Report Blooms in Local Lakes
Peterborough Public Health (PPH) is advising residents to protect themselves and their pets from blue-green algae, which may bloom on local lakes.
To report a blue-green algae bloom, residents can contact the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks at 1-866-MOETIPS (663-8477). The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, with the assistance of PPH, will investigate reports of blue-green algae in the County and City of Peterborough, and around Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations.
To date, there have been no confirmed reports of blue-green algae in local lakes this season.
“It can be tricky even for experts to identify blue-green algae, so it’s important for residents to familiarize themselves with the different categories on our website should they suspect a bloom in their area,” said Wanda Tonus, Public Health Inspector at Peterborough Public Health. “We want to enjoy our lakes during the warm months, and being aware of blue-green algae is another way to protect ourselves and our pets.”
Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria, called cyanobacteria, that are known for rapidly reproducing and collecting to form large, highly visible blooms throughout the water column, on the surface of water as a scum, or on the lake bottom as a mat. These blooms are not only unsightly and smelly: some species of cyanobacteria can also release poisons, called cyanobacterial toxins, when the cells that make up the bloom rupture or die.
The risk to humans is primarily from drinking water that has been contaminated with toxins from a dense algae bloom. Fortunately, there have been no human deaths attributed to drinking water containing cyanobacterial toxins, but the toxins may cause headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhea. Long-term consumption of water containing high levels of cyanobacterial toxins may cause neurological or liver problems.
Some individuals are sensitive to blue-green algae and may develop a mild skin rash or eye irritation even if there is no toxin produced by the bloom. Some individuals will have no reaction. For farm animals and pets, consuming large quantities of heavily contaminated water may result in sickness or death.
To learn more about blue-green algae and precautions to take before swimming in or consuming water where there has been an algae bloom, visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/blue-green-algae/.
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For further information, please contact:
Media Relations
media@peterboroughpublichealth.ca