Researchers detect blue-green algae toxin in Lake Erie earlier than ever before

Researchers at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab say they have detected a harmful toxin produced by blue-green algae earlier in the year than ever before in Lake Erie.

Water tests taken on April 28 showed levels of 0.12 parts per billion of microcystin.

But Reagan Errera, a NOAA research ecologist, suggested the finding isn't a cause for immediate alarm.

"It's almost like the pre-hurricane season warnings that we do," Errera said.

"It's 'Hey, hurricane season hasn't started yet, but you should start to prepare. Get your lights. Get your water.' … This is the same kind of thing. We want to let people know, 'Hey, we're starting to get hits. We want you to know so that you can prepare for the summer upcoming.'"

Microcystins can produce allergic reactions such as skin rashes, eye irritations, respiratory symptoms and in some cases gastroenteritis, liver and kidney failure or death, according to information on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.

They can also kill livestock and pets that drink affected waters. 

But the toxin levels detected by NOAA are not high enough to trigger water treatment measures at nearby drinking water facilities or warnings against swimming or taking pets into an area of the lake, the administration said in a news release. 

Errera advised people to simply prepare for the presence of the toxin by keeping an eye on the agency's website and avoiding places with high concentrations of it.

NOAA typically samples water around Maumee Bay and Sandusky Bay, where problems show up earlier than they do around Windsor-Essex, said Katie Stammler, the water quality scientist at the Essex Region Conservation Authority.

Currently, NOAA's readings are very low – just slightly above the minimum threshold for detection, she said.

"What it tells us, and what we've been seeing over the last several years, is that the season seems to be starting earlier and lasting longer," she said. 

"And that can be due to climate change and changes in our weather pattern, so we did have some wetter weather that might have brought the nutrients out into Lake Erie a bit earlier."

The earlier detection of microcystin means that water operators at Enwin, which operates the City of Windsor's water system on behalf of the Windsor Utilities Commission, will monitor their treatment process more closely and adjust as necessary, said Robert Spagnuolo, the utility's chief operating officer for water.