Algal bloom leads to local health advisories

This article came out early morning from www.lakeconews.com:

http://lakeconews.com/content/view/15148/919/

Algal bloom leads to local health advisories; most of Clear Lake open to recreation
Written by Lake County News reports
Friday, 30 July 2010

LAKE COUNTY – Despite ample rainfall and higher lake levels this summer, the blue-green algae that last year proved troublesome for several shoreline areas on Clear Lake has reemerged.

The algae blooms recently have been observed in the same general areas as last year, mainly in the southern sections of the lake where prevailing winds tend to cause localized accumulation of the algae, in the form of a filmy layer or mats on the surface of the water, health officials reported Thursday.

As in the bloom last year, the predominant genera of this blue-green algae bloom is known as lyngbya. The Lake County Health Department and Department of Water Resources said that recent tests of water in Clear Lake have not detected toxins.

Precautionary health advisories have been posted at a few southern beach locations where the blue-green algae has accumulated, per state guidelines that call for the posting of areas where there is visible film or mats.

The affected public areas are currently limited to Austin Park, Highlands Park and Redbud Park, the county departments reported. The majority of the lake remains open for recreation.

Health officials said avoidance of contact with water in the immediate vicinity of algae accumulations is prudent. Because of the potential for harmful substances to be present in dense accumulations of blue-green algae, people and pets are advised to avoid swimming, wading and drinking water in the immediate vicinity.

For more information about the algae bloom and efforts to mitigate its impacts, contact the Lake County Department of Water Resources at 707-263-2344.

For health-related questions, contact the Lake County Health Services office at 707-263-1164.

For more information regarding blue-green algae, visit www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/environhealth/water/Pages/Bluegreenalgae.aspx.

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This is a viewer's comments:

Current Algae blooms in Clear Lake are not typical
written by Mars, July 30, 2010

First, the problem “algae” are cyanobacteria. They are not a plant. Second, there are many kinds of lyngbya cyanobacteria as well as other types of cyanobacteria often found with each other, some being quite toxic. The type mentioned in the lake has been stated as lyngbya birgei, which is not toxic, generally, but lyngbya can emit saxitoxins and aplysiatoxins which effect skin and gastro-intestinal areas. I have also detected what appear to be at least two other cyanobacteria in the Austin Park area: anabaena and oscillatoria which can carry and emit microystins, anatoxin-a and (S), and aplysiatoxins, effecting the liver, and nerve synapse.

The drinking water is not tested for cyanotoxins. The Lake County Heath Department cannot itself test for cyanotoxins in the Lake, nor can the Department of Water Resources. They must send samples elsewhere for these tests. Where, when, and how often were these samples obtained? By who? One sample or how many were tested? What was actually tested within the samples, in detail? This information is critical to know the validity behind the statement “no toxins were detected” which I deem highly questionable.

The Clear Lake water body had become polluted in my opinion, and not only with cyanobacteria. Given the past and emergent research regarding the health hazards of cyanobacteria, and the importance of Clear Lake water, the present testing, safety and protection operations are inadequate.