TO CLOSE

Aerial view of a proliferation of toxic algae flowing in a canal Friday, July 14, 2018 in Cape Coral, Florida.
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FGCU research released Friday shows airborne cyanobacterial toxins can travel more than one kilometer into the hinterland, raising questions about the health consequences of those exposed to the recent massive proliferation of blue-green algae from the area last year.

The air samplers have discovered two blue-green algae toxins – microcystin and BAMA – in the Buckingham University complex, said lead scientist Mike Parsons, a professor of marine biology. Some scientists have linked the two with serious health problems, including liver cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

The researchers used a device to model the depth at which the algal toxin particles could enter the human lungs (Photo: Special to the print media)

The devices had previously been found in a house on the Cape Coral Canal and at the University's Vester Field Station in Bonita Springs, in large particles capable of penetrating deep into the lungs of humans. The first studies were conducted in September and October, while the virulent bloom of last year was dwindling. According to Mr. Parsons, ideally they started earlier, but it took time to find partners and funding.

More research is needed to understand the implications. "We have to be careful because we're talking about liver toxins, neurodegenerative toxins, so we have to deal with it in a serious way," said Parsons. "This deserves further study. At the moment, this does not seem to be high enough to be a concern, but we are not 100% sure. "

More: FGCU research shows that algae toxins are suspended in the air and can reach the human lungs

The pilot study, a cooperative effort between FGCU and Yale, with assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, initially sampled the air at Cape Coral, where the bloom was dense, and at Bonita Springs, where it There was none. However, the toxins appeared in both places.

"So we scratched our heads a bit," said Parsons. "The next step was to see if we could get away from any source of water containing toxins … to go as far inland as possible, far from any major body of water."

In Buckingham, "we were at least one kilometer from all retention ponds and three kilometers from Caloosahatchee," but in 28 days the gear still caught the toxins.

"This probably indicates that there are natural concentrations of toxins in the air," said Parsons, "regardless of the natural sources".

The next step? Study the air in several places, several times when the regrowth appears.

"We are going to seek funding to intensify our sampling and analysis," Parsons said. "And we need to couple that with epidemiological studies in the future to see what this exposure represents in terms of risk to human health."

He plans to meet researchers from Florida Atlantic University, who have tested the toxicity of algae, as well as representatives of the Environmental Protection Department of Florida and Cape Coral in the coming weeks to discuss collaboration .

Meanwhile, Parsons insists on caution. "As with the red tide, the microcystis is still there. There are still flowers in the river. He is still in the lake, so he did not leave. It's there. Please do not have an attitude away from sight, away from the mind. "

More: FGCU research finds more algae toxins in air – toxin samplers than some scientists associate with deadly brain disease

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