Toxic blue-green algae on the rise: What you and your pet need to know to stay safe
Don't let the name fool you, blue-green algae is dangerous bacteria. Here is what can happen if you or your pet is exposed to it.
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If you are by a body of water with green lines or dots, and the smell aggravates your nose, you might be in the presence of blue-green algae.
In July, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found blue-green algae at Timber Creek Pond in Gloucester Township, rendering the area high-risk for people and animals’ health.
Blue-green algae is the common name for a type of cyanobacteria that can produce harmful toxins, causing organ failure in humans and death in pets. In 2019, four dogs died in North Carolina and Georgia after swimming in a pond loaded with it.
This summer, cyanobacteria has caused New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to put two bodies of water under red alert, and seven others in orange.
What does that mean and how will it impact you? Here is what to know about the blue-green algae in New Jersey.
What causes blue-green algae in lakes?
Blue-green algae naturally exist in freshwater ecosystems. Your local lake, estuary, pond, or ocean are common homes to cyanobacteria. It seeks sunlight and nutrients to stay alive, creating a thick layer that floats to the surface, called blooms. Not all blooms are cyanobacteria. Some are common green algae, which are not toxic.
Despite being a common occurrence between late summer and early fall, physical and chemical variables are causing an increase in cases of blue-green algae this season.
Changes in water temperature or flow, PH fluctuations, and an increase in water nutrients — from lawn and farm fertilizers — are causing cyanobacteria to multiply faster, according to the United States Environmental Agency (EPA). This endangers the water stream ecosystem by blocking marine life from accessing sunlight and can expose humans to dangerous bacteria.
Is blue green algae dangerous?
The danger falls in the toxins present in the bloom. According to the EPA, not all cyanobacteria produce toxins, but when they are found, their effect can be harmful to people’s health.
In 2020, the DEP came up with a tier system that measures these toxins to determine whether or not a body of water presents a danger to living beings.
Here are what all the alert statuses mean:
If your local waterbody is under any of these alerts, do not drink water or eat fish from it.
🔵 Watch: Blue-green algae were spotted during a field inspection, but the confirmed cell count remains between 20,000 to 80,000. Swimming and non-contact boating are still permitted, but folks should proceed with caution.
🟠Advisory: Lab testing has proved the presence of cyanotoxins or the confirmed cell counts exceeded 80,000. At this stage, beaches will close, but the waterbody remains open. Swimming is not recommended, and you should be careful of coming in contact with the water if boating.
🔴Warning: Toxin levels are high. Microcystin levels reached between 20 to 2,000 cell counts. Beaches are closed, water bodies are open, but don’t go swimming or boating.
⚫Danger: Microcystins levels are very high, reaching over 2,000 cells. This alert can lead to the waterbody fully or partially closing. Depending on the conditions, access to the shoreline might become restricted.
Source: state.nj.us
Timber Creek Pond, for instance, entered warning status on July 13, so the county’s Health Department placed signs to warn both folk and pets to keep out of the water.
What does blue-green algae do to humans?
The most common cyanotoxins in blue-green algae are Microcystins, Cylindrospermopsin, Anatoxins, and Saxitoxins. Drinking water, swimming, eating fish, or simply breathing by a waterbody with cyanotoxins can seriously harm you.
At best, you will experience mild skin rashes, hay fever symptoms (runny nose, itchy eyes, cough), difficulty breathing, and gastrointestinal problems. At worst, it can cause organ failure, and in rare cases, death.
Microcystins: Affect the liver, kidneys, and reproductive system. Coming in contact with this cyanotoxin causes stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, sore throat, dry cough, blistering around the mouth, and pneumonia.
Cylindrospermopsin: Damages both the liver and kidneys. Symptoms include headaches, fever, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea.
Anatoxins: Affect the central nervous system, taking a toll on your brain and spinal cord. As a result, you may experience incoherent speech, salivation, drowsiness, numbness or tingling, burning sensations, and respiratory paralysis.
Saxitoxins: In high levels, it can cause severe poisoning, headaches, muscle weakness, vertigo, and paralysis.
If you accidentally swallow water from a blue-green algae stream, call your doctor immediately, especially if you began to develop symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also recommends calling the poison control hotline, at 1-800-222-1222.
In case your skin comes in contact, take a shower or rinse it with clean water.
Try to stay as far away from blue-green algae as possible. You might not plan on touching or drinking it, but that doesn’t prevent your body from breathing in the toxins.
How to identify blue-green algae
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has identified some key things to look for if you think you may be in contact with blue-green algae. If the water stinks, looks like a layer of bluish‐green or white paint was poured on the surface of it, has a pea soup look, green streaks parallel to the shoreline, or globs of any size, it’s probably blue-green algae.
When in doubt, DEP recommends not swimming, fishing, or drinking from the stream of water.
Signs of blue-green algae poisoning in dogs
Your four-legged friend can also be affected by these cyanotoxins. Don’t let them go swimming, drink, or eat anything from a waterbody with blue-green algae.
If they make their way to the water before you can prevent it, get them out as soon as possible and into the shower. The CDC recommends keeping furry pals under your watchful eye for at least 24 hours after contact.
Call the veterinarian if your pet throws up, has diarrhea, loses energy or appetite, experiences excessive drooling, stumbles to walk and falls, foams at the mouth, or has convulsions, tremors, or seizures.
What if I spot or suspect a harmful algal bloom?
It’s best to report it to your state environmental agency.
In New Jersey, the DEP is telling residents to report through an online tool or call 1-877-WARNDEP (1-877-927-6337).
Isn’t blue-green algae sold as a dietary supplement?
Yes, but it’s not the same as what’s plaguing waterways. According to WebMD: “Some blue-green algae products are grown under controlled conditions. Others are grown in a natural setting, where they are more likely to be contaminated by bacteria, liver poisons (microcystins) produced by certain bacteria, and heavy metals. Choose only products that have been tested and found free of these contaminants. You may have been told that blue-green algae are an excellent source of protein. But, in reality, blue-green algae are no better than meat or milk as a protein source and cost about 30 times as much per gram.”