8/19/2024
WT Staff
 August 19, 2024 1031 am EDT
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) aka bluegreen algae, cyanobacteria
WT HAB Tracker follows the movement and growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs) as provided by the satellite monitoring program of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) along with local and state reports, where available.
The NCCOS HABs monitoring program analyzes near daily satellite images from the Copernicus-Sentinal III, a program of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). A total of nine monitoring projects are currently available for public access in the USA including New York's Lake Champlain, Ohio's Lake Erie and Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain and surrounding area.
Interpretation of the satellite images for algal bloom estimation is most reliable in clear conditions at wind speed less than 4 mph, where the appearance and extent of HABs is matched to a color scale to estimate the concentration. HABs are known to produce algal toxins of concern for raw drinking water sources, also of concern for recreational users of water bodies.
Plan your boating and beach access to avoid water with known HABs. Consider carrying a rapid test kit to detect cyanotoxin microcystins, especially dangerous for dogs.
EPA Safe Limits for HAB toxins
US EPA Health Advisories for public drinking water specify the maximum threshhold for two common algal toxins, microcystins and cylindrospermopsins, liver toxins produced by cyanobacteria. Note these levels are health advisories, not legally enforceable regulatory limits. Two levels are identified, separating the population by age. The first level applies to pre-school aged children, the second level applies for those age 6 and up. The EPA health advisory gives the maximum level of toxin that would not produce negative health impacts over a ten day period. For microcystins, .3 ug/L under 6 yrs old; 1.6 ug/L for 6 and older. For cylindrospermopsins, the toxin associated with the HAB Aphanizomenon the level for preschoolers is .7 ug/L, for those 6 and up, 3 ug/L.
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