"It was a drought year, a lot of the nutrients were not taken up by corn crops," Good said. From May through August, Illinois also saw its fourth driest period on record, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. Then came 2012-Illinois' hottest year on record. But, given the right conditions, blooms could become more toxic, researchers warned. Microcystin was found in about half of 366 samples between 20 nearly all were in the low range. In the mid-2000s, as reports of blooms grew in the Midwest, the state began collecting water samples. Researchers are still trying to figure out why only some blooms are toxic, and the conditions that might make toxin production more likely. In Illinois, toxic blooms turn up in certain bodies of water nearly every year.Īlgae blooms can be a nuisance, causing problems for organisms that depend on access to light, which blooms block, and oxygen, which blooms deplete. "Hot, dry weather, you're going to probably find more." There's always hope that you're not going to find much," said Gregg Good, surface water section manager with the Illinois EPA. "There's always concern that you're going to have a banner bad year. Today, the Illinois EPA routinely monitors sites including some public water supply intakes such as those in Lake Michigan, and also responds to reports of possible blooms, keeping an eye on regular offenders, including the shallow, calm area near Starved Rock. Illinois' formal monitoring program for harmful algae blooms began in 2013, after an especially hot summer resulted in eye-popping levels of toxins. More extreme exposure can lead to liver damage. Microcystin, the most prevalent toxin in Illinois waters and the one in the Starved Rock bloom, can cause skin rashes, diarrhea and coughing. And they come with a cost-whether through the price of water treatment, dog deaths or risks to human health. The frequency of algae blooms is likely to increase, a Great Lakes climate assessment noted. Along with nutrient overload from intense storms, warming air temperatures-and in turn warming water temperatures-can feed blooms. The rise of blooms appears to be connected to human-caused climate change. The bloom, one of dozens sampled this year throughout Illinois, contained levels of a potent toxin more than 30 times above the advised state recreational standard.īlooms of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, happen when, given the right mix of conditions including temperature, sunlight and excess nutrients, the microscopic organisms proliferate to the extent that it sometimes looks like someone dumped paint in the water. In June, its surface was streaked with neon green. But the area is home to a problem that taints waters throughout the state: toxic algae blooms.
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