Harmful Algal Blooms – What's In Your Drinking Water Intake?

By Jordan Schmidt

In August 2014, the city of Toledo, Ohio informed its residents (~500,000 people) that they should not use tap water for any purposes including bathing and cooking. The culprit: microcystin, a toxin produced by blue-green algae, had been detected in the city’s finished drinking water at concentrations 2.5 times the World Health Organization’s guideline value. Microcystin are hepatotoxins which can cause acute liver failure as well as several other symptoms including nausea and vomiting.