"We know people want to make the most of summer, but unfortunately, in some settings, that’s just not possible.”
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued advisories for water bodies across the region, including Moose Lake, Chatwin Lake, and Kinosoo Beach. Gerhard Benade, medical officer of health with AHS, said although families may be tempted to ignore their warnings, there could be consequences.
For example, those that turn a blind eye to the cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae blooms, at either Chatwin Lake or Moose Lake, could suffer from skin or eye irritation, vomiting, and diarrhea.
“The thing about blue-green algae, is a certain percentage of them could carry certain toxins. When ingested or exposed to human skin, these toxins can cause symptoms,” explained Benade.
Blue-green algae may be nothing new on Moose Lake, however, Moose Lake Watershed Society board chair Kellie Nichiporik said the bacteria is not to be taken lightly.
“It’s toxic. There are many different strains of blue-green algae. Certain types are more toxic than others,” she stressed, adding depending on the level of toxicity, pets that drink from the lake could potentially die within 15 minutes of ingesting the water.
“It’s going to be very dependent on the year… The ones that are in our lake, you can get a skin irritation for sure, or if you’re ingesting it. That’s why you want to avoid these areas where it’s present. You don’t want to come into contact with it because it can definitely cause a lot of skin issues... There’s some internal and external things that you have to worry about," continued Nichiporik.
Benade explained how when swallowed, the toxin found in blue-green algae could be concentrated in the liver, resulting in liver and possibly nerve damage.
The blooms are typically blue or green in colour, however, it can also appear to be pink.
“It’s very visible. It looks like lawn clippings, it can be that nice teal colour everyone notices, and it can come in varying shades,” Nichiporik described.
If you don't spot the algae blooms right away, Nichiporik noted, you definitely won't miss the smell.
“It’s very noticeable. It’s very much like rotting vegetation, but worse.”
Although cyanobacteria is "naturally occurring in the lake," Nichiporik confirmed it's also "driven by nutrients in the water, specifically phosphorus."
She added, “All of the extra phosphorus is driving the blooms. We’ve had some cooperative weather. It’s summertime, and blue-green algae loves the summertime, loves the warmer weather. It’s a naturally occurring process in our lake."
AHS placed Kinosoo Beach under a water quality advisory in July, after tests revealed the levels were above acceptable for enterococcus, which is believed to be caused by droppings from waterfowl.
“These advisories are precautionary. If there’s fecal material on a beach, people sitting there enjoying the sunny weather, as you can imagine, there could be potential exposure and ingestion,” Benade explained.
The issue with fecal matter, he added, is when ingested, the bacteria can cause gastroenteritis.
Children and seniors are more susceptible to "severe complications."
“Depending on the exposure, it’s possible for people to get pink eye, sore throats, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, vomiting, and depending on what kind of water they ingest, worst case scenario is they develop hemolysis and kidney injury," detailed Benade.
This is why AHS recommends people avoid swimming in contaminated areas.
“Risking your health for the sake of swimming probably isn’t a good idea," Benade stressed.
According to Benade, AHS is investigating cleanup options before retesting the water at Kinosoo Beach.
"Once it's clear and it doesn't pose a risk to humans, bathers, pets, and so forth, then the advisory will be lifted."
