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Let's Help End Nutrient Pollution

  Hello everyone, I’m thankful to you for following this blog. This has been a journey to learn about the important environmental issue of harmful algal blooms that impact our environment, health, animals, and drinking water supply. While it may seem like a formidable crisis that is increasing in severity and occurrence. It is however possible to control this issue as suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As an individual effort in your home, choose detergents/soaps that are phosphate free to reduce the excess phosphates that will runoff into bodies of water. Ensure that washing machines and dishwashers are run with a full load to help cut down on unnecessary soap runoff ( What You Can Do: In Your Home , 2022). Pet waste left behind will be added to the runoff and end up in the drains during storms, this waste also contains fertilizer-like nutrients resulting in overgrowth of algae, make sure to pick up after pets. Septic systems should be properly maintained to avo
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Organizations Tackling Nutrient Pollution

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  On the national level, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are being tackled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is researching and collecting data in response to The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act passed in 1998. This law was passed after recognizing that further research was needed to understand the causes and impacts of algal blooms in water. EPA sought to monitor the sources causing HABs and reported the results to congress (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1998). The law has been amended a few times but continues to help tackle this important environmental health issue. EPA collaborates with regional task forces and federal agencies such as United States Department of Agriculture to control the excess nutrients in waterways. They work to raise public awareness about HABs as well as conduct surveillance to collect data outlining health impacts. The One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS) is created by EPA to promote awarene
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The Prevalence of Algal Blooms/Economic Impact

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  The Prevalence of Algal Blooms Nationally       The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS) in 2016 to conduct surveillance of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) events and to inform/prevent human and animal illnesses associated with them. 18 states reported 421 HAB events, 389 cases of human illness, and 413 cases of animal illness for the duration of 2016-2018. The reporting of data to OHHABS is voluntary, thus not all states are currently reporting and gaps in total number of cases/events exist due to a lack of formal data reporting by most states (Roberts et al., 2020).   (WHOI Report, 2021)      It is important to note that different algal species contribute to different HAB events around the United States; furthermore, they produce disparate toxins, and the resulting illnesses are just as distinct. Human and animal exposure can also take place in a variety of ways: aerosolized toxins, consumption of shellfish, swimming in actively bloomi
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Understanding Harmful Algal Blooms and their effects on our health, Gulf of Mexico

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  What are algal blooms? Algae is an aquatic microorganism found in all bodies of water, it appears as green, brown, or red depending on the type (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 2021). Like plants, they contain chlorophyll and photosynthesize using sunlight as energy. Algae and Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are important microorganisms since they produce more oxygen than the land plants. In addition, algae form the foundation of aquatic food webs supporting a wide range of animals. An acceptable amount of algae is always present in water and it is used to gauge the health of the stream or body of water since it responds to changes in the environment (mywaterquality.ca.gov, 2017). Algal blooms are excessive or rapid growth of the algae which can form a thick, foamy, or slimy layer on the surface of water. It smells bad, discolors the water and makes fish taste bad. This discourages people from drinking tap water and visiting beaches. The harmful algal bl
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