The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) announced Wednesday that results of the testing done on the blue-green algae bloom from the Ruscom River fall within a safe range.
The health unit is still urging residents to be cautious of the water, as those results mean that the bloom wasn't producing harmful toxins at the time the sample was taken.
"Blue-green algae can turn toxin production on and off in response to different environmental factors," a release from WECHU said. "A negative result or a result with acceptable levels does not mean that the bloom cannot be harmful."
When toxin levels are high, swimming in water contaminated by blue-green algae can cause itchy, irritated eyes and skin. Swallowing it can cause headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, it can even cause liver damage.
Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) has become an issue for waters in Windsor-Essex in the past few years, WECHU said. The microscopic bacteria occur naturally in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and streams in the late summer and early fall and may contain toxins, called microcystins.
According to the health unit, fresh blue-green algal blooms often smell like fresh cut grass, while older blooms can smell like foul fecal matter. Older blooms are the ones that are more likely to release toxins.
WECHU is providing a list of safety measures to follow for those living near an area where an algae bloom is present:
• Do not drink or use the water for food preparation, including infant formula
• Use an alternate source of safe drinking water, such as bottled water, for the duration of the bloom
• Do not boil and drink water that may contain blue-green algae because toxins are not destroyed by boiling, and boiling may increase toxins
• Do not swim and avoid water sports where a bloom is present
• Do not allow children and pets to play in the water or drink lake water during a blue-green algae bloom. If the level of toxin is high, they may suffer serious health risks, including death.
