Highly toxic bacteria have been discovered in a lake in the US state of Indiana, which is popular with tourists for boating, water skiing and fishing. The limit value that is safe for humans is exceeded twenty times – parts of the water should be avoided due to the health risk, the responsible authority warned.
The green streaks running through Big Chapman Lake were initially believed to be a harmless algae bloom. However, research has shown that cyanobacteria exist in the water; These are also called blue-green algae, even though they are not actually algae.
There is a risk of liver damage upon contact with water
Cyanobacteria can produce the highly toxic toxin microcystin. “If it gets on the skin and toxin levels are high enough, it can cause a rash. In this case, you should wash it off immediately. However, if you ingest large amounts of them, the cyanobacteria are liver toxic and can attack your liver, eventually causing liver damage,” explains Matt Burlingame of the Lily Center for Lake and Streams.
This toxin is not always produced. The r-limit of microcystin that is safe for humans is 8 parts per billion; laboratory results revealed a value of 160.4 parts per billion – 20 times the safe concentration.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Conservation has asked residents to avoid using fertilizers at this time if they can be washed into water. If you discover anything suspicious in the lake, you should inform the authorities, who will take a sample if necessary.
Source: Krone
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