ith warnings out for a number of ponds and rivers in the province, due to blue-green algae, the question remains, how long will it take before they are safe again?
With the hot weather this year, came the production of blooms, which can be particularly toxic to animals and humans.
Warnings were issued by both the City and the province, to stay out of the water, and to keep animals out as well.
Assistant Professor in Biology at Mount Allison University Justin Leifer says it is hard to say exactly when the water will be safe again, “If the thing that caused the bloom were just to die back immediately, the toxins themselves can stay in the water for weeks. It can be persistent while the temperatures are still warm and the conditions are still good.”
Leifer says, even if we drop to more seasonable temperatures, it does not mean the blue-green algae will just disappear, “When you have a very dense bloom in a closed body of water, it can accumulate and be very harmful to people. That is why, if an advisory is posted on a local body of water, listen to it. Don’t go in the water. Don’t swim in it. Don’t drink it, and don’t let your pets or livestock drink it either. People should really respect the government authorities on this. Even if the bloom magically stopped today, they can persist for weeks. It’s unlikely that it will just go away overnight.”
Leifer says blue green algae contains toxins that can affect the brain, nervous system and liver.
It’s hard to say if the warmer weather is what is causing the blooms,But overall warmer waters can make problems like this more likely. When a body of water has gotten warmer, and they have these bloom problems, they get worse as the waters get warmer, year to year,” Leifer adds.
Three dogs who went in the Saint John River near Fredericton, died as a result of toxins from blue-green algae, and there were reports of a fourth near Havelock.
