NEW
Algal Image Gallery:
A Visual Identification Tool
 GreenWater Laboratories/CyanoLab
has just finished updating the Photo Gallery section of our website.
This extensive collection of algal images were photographed with an inverted
phase/contrast microscope and is intended to help you to identify various
algae samples. Also in the gallery section are some impressive photos
of algal blooms from some of the hardest hit areas we've come across.
Visit our updated gallery on our website at greenwaterlab.com.
EPA to Set New Regulations for Florida
Excerpts from EarthJustice.org,
November 16, 2009:
Tallahassee, FL - A federal judge in Tallahassee
today approved a historic consent decree which requires the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency to set legal limits for the widespread nutrient poisoning
that triggers harmful algae blooms in Florida waters...
...A 2008 DEP report concluded that half of the state's rivers
and more than half of its lakes had poor water quality. The problem is compounded
when nutrient-poisoned waters are used as drinking water sources. Disinfectants
like chlorine and chloramine can react with the dissolved organic compounds,
contaminating drinking water with harmful chemical byproducts.
Exposure to these blue-green algae toxins – when people
drink the water, touch it, or inhale vapors from it – can cause rashes,
skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, serious
illness, and even death. In June 2008, a water treatment plant serving 30,000
Florida residents was shut down after a toxic blue-green algae bloom on the
Caloosahatchee River threatened the plant's water supply...
Read
the full article online.
Sampling Matters
Depending on the
tendencies and history of your water body, specific sampling techniques,
or a combination there of, may be necessary to clearly understand the
potential problems you may encounter...
In general, freshwater algal bloom events
are patchy in their distribution and abundance and therefore may differ
dramatically geographically (different locations of the same water body),
spatially (vertical and horizontal at the same location), and temporally
(seasonally, monthly, weekly, daily, tidally). Techniques used to sample
a bloom may differ depending on the species composition of the bloom
event. Some species of Microcystis, Anabaena and Aphanizomenon may
form surface blooms due to the presence of gas vesicles (aerotopes) in
the cells. In such cases it may be desirable to concentrate sampling
in the upper 0.5 m of the water column. Cylindrospermopsis and
some other Aphanizomenon species are generally present throughout
the water column and can be effectively sampled with an integrated pole
technique. Planktothrix may be distributed throughout the water
column, and can be sampled in the same manner as Cylindrospermopsis or
may form dense sub-surface layers, in which case, a discrete sampling
device (i.e. Van Dorn bottle) can be used. Lyngbya can form dense
benthic or floating mats and can be sampled by hand usually in conjunction
with a quadrat to provide estimates of total surface coverage of the
impacted area. Sampling with phytoplankton nets is not recommended as
small, potentially toxigenic species may be missed leading to potential
underestimation of toxin concentrations. To further complicate the situation,
and data interpretation, multiple potentially toxigenic genera can co-occur
and may need multiple techniques to accurately characterize the toxins
present.
Some algae can also actively migrate vertically in the water column
and therefore can differ spatially on a daily basis. As a result,
time of sampling and weather conditions (sunny/cloudy, windy/calm)
can also influence distribution. The
objective of the monitoring/sampling is critical as to how to sample, but that
is a story for another day and another time.
For more on sampling and algal analysis,
go to our
website. |
Water, Water Everywhere!
Is it Safe?
Cyanotoxins are all classified as highly potent toxins and have been named as
the causative agent in many animal deaths. Microcystins, anatoxin-a and cylindrospermopsin are
still being considered and evaluated by the USEPA as potential regulatory compounds
in drinking water. However, there is still some debate if cyanotoxins are a significant
threat to human health via environmental exposure.
What do you think?
Even though the consensus from
researchers and environmentalists who work with freshwater harmful algal
blooms are that these events are increasing in magnitude, duration and frequency,
there are still very few governmental restrictions in place to minimize these
events. That is until now…
To read about the upcoming changes to EPA regulations, click
here.
To learn more about reported effects of toxic
algae , go to the articles
section on the GreenWater Lab website.
Why
GWL? Its Simple...
- Private Laboratory
(ALL data is strictly confidential. No exceptions.)
- Rapid toxin
data turnaround (24-48 hours of receipt)
- Readily
available consultation (sampling, analyses, etc.)
- Assistance with
specific needs (tailored analyses, budgetary limits, etc.)
- QA/QC provided
(replicate analyses, spiked sample recoveries, positive controls)
- Discounts
for multiple samples, multiple analyses and long-term
monitoring projects
- One-stop
analysis (all cyanotoxins, all
algae, all the time)
- Experience (cyanotoxin
analysis since 2001, algal identification
since 1993)
Got Algae?
Contact us at
GreenWater Laboratories.
We can help.
386-328-0882
or
877-869-2542
info@greenwaterlab.com
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