Cyanobacteria – Research and Awareness on a Potential Neurotoxin
Cyanobacteria bloom at the mouth of Thorp Brook, Charlotte. Photo credit: David McKinnon Schmidt
Lewis Creek Association understands the connection between water quality (nutrient pollution) and cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) blooms in lakes. We are concerned about public health, as it ties in closely with our active work to improve water quality through the Ahead of the Storm program and education.
To this end, LCA hosted a viewing of the film Toxic Puzzle in January 2019, attended by about 50 people. Jon Erikson of UVM Gund Institute presented and there was a lively discussion after the film. We then hosted a screening of and discussion on the locally produced documentary Lake Effect on October 17. Lake Effect explores research from Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Dr. Elijah Stommel into a possible connection between blue-green algae blooms that are fed by excess phosphorus in lakes, and the neurodegenerative disease ALS. UVM professors Dr. Jason Stockwell and Dr. Rachelle Gould, and Ph.D. student Natalie Flores were present to discuss their ongoing research locally, as were the filmmakers. See Press Release for further information. This well-attended event raised our awareness of current research into cyanobacteria’s effects not only on human health, but other impacts on the food web.
Additional Resources
State of Vermont Health Department resources on cyanobacteria and how to identify it
Beyond Guam: the cyanobacteria/BMAA hypothesis of the cause of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases
Massive Toxic Algae Blooms May Prove a Sign of Climate Change to Come
New Hampshire Neurologist Studies Possible Algae-ALS Link
Dietary exposure to an environmental toxin triggers neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits in the brain
Tenuous Links Between Blue-green algae and Neurological Diseases