Toxic algae blooms, a common sight during the summer season, are more harmful than what was previously thought.
Every summer season, toxic algae blooms are bountiful in local waterways, ponds, and lakes. While health experts know these blooms are dangerous to the health of both animals and humans, a new study says they are more hazardous than what was originally believed. For starters, it can cause the accumulation of high liver toxin concentrations, which are harmful to humans and animals alike if ingested.
A single huge blue-green algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River in Florida spread into the Gulf of Mexico in 2018 and blended with a red tide algae bloom, an analysis published in the online journal Neurotoxicity Research recently showed. The result was a toxic stew near the Fort Myers coast.