Peterborough Public Health confirmed on July 21 that the suspected harmful algae bloom in Little Lake is a toxin producing blue-green algae bloom.<\/p>\n
The beaches have been closed since July 14, and Public Health has announced the results of a water test taken by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP).<\/p>\n
\u201cElevated levels of toxins associated with blue-green algae have been detected and the beaches will remain temporarily closed,\u201d says Julie Ingram, Manager of Environmental Health at Peterborough Public Health.<\/p>\n
To learn more about the science of blue-green algae blooms, Trent Radio spoke to Claire Stevens, a graduate student at Trent University working on a PhD in the Biology department. Stevens\u2019 research primarily focuses on cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlue-green algae is a \u2018catch-all\u2019 term for cyanobacteria,\u2019 says Stevens. \u201cCyanobacteria is a genus of algae which includes many species \u2013 many of which are toxin-producing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stevens identifies that one of the most common bacteria produced by blue-green algal blooms is called \u2018microcystis,\u2019 which is what was identified in Little Lake. According to Peterborough Public Health, the MECP \u00a0confirmed the water sample taken from Little Lake had a total microcystin toxin amount of 169 \u00b5g\/L, exceeding Health Canada\u2019s recreational water limit of 10 \u00b5g\/L.<\/p>\n
Stevens identifies the wide range of short and long-term health effects that can occur due to exposure to the toxins present in Little Lake. Public Health has closed these two beaches and recommends caution when using the water for recreational purposes as the toxin can be harmful.<\/p>\n
As of right now, there is no predicted date for the beaches to reopen. But, Public Health would like to have the beaches \"reopened as soon as it is safe to do so,\" said Ingram.<\/p>\n