top of page
logo

Harmful Algal Blooms

upaithricgoods
6 hours ago
9 min read

Sydney Williams

10/5/2024

Imagine a world without beach days, where fishing trips are forever canceled, and the cost of seafood becomes astronomical. Harmful algal blooms, if not reduced, will cause these scenarios to become a reality. Algae blooms are made up of microscopic organisms called algae which feed off nitrogen and phosphorus and flourish in warm weather. When conditions are optimal, these blooms grow very rapidly and cover large areas of surface water. The algae within these blooms can often contain harmful toxins, earning them the name Harmful Algal Blooms (Algal Blooms, 2024).

Harmful Algal Blooms, also known as HABs, are very disruptive. The rapid growth of these blooms causes them to become very dense in a short period of time. When this occurs, sunlight is unable to penetrate through, making photosynthesis for plants below impossible (Algal Blooms, 2024). The high nutrient demands of HABs also affect marine life. HABs often cause oxygen depletion, resulting in suffocation to adjacent marine life (Algal Blooms, 2024). This has detrimental effects on ecosystems and can even result in dead zones, where all plant life and animal life alike are able to survive.

  Marine life is not the only affected system. Toxins within HABs, such as cyanobacteria, are extremely harmful to human health. Swimming alongside cyanobacteria HABs and eating fish within the vicinity are both dangerous and can cause “nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal tenderness, pain, or acute liver failure” (Algal Blooms, 2024).

Due to its ability to survive in freshwater and saltwater, HABs affect nearly all bodies of water globally with The Great Lakes being no exception. Harmful Algal Blooms containing cyanobacteria grew to be a pressing issue within The Great Lakes starting back in the mid-1990's (Selzer, 2022). Toxic cyanobacteria HABs began to become larger, last longer and show up more frequently. Today, some blooms within The Great Lakes last the entire summer and into the fall months. Every year, HABs cause multiple beaches across Michigan to close during the summer months, limiting recreational swimming, fishing, and water sports throughout the state. This has caused a decrease in tourism – a major concern for the many lakeside towns relying on the tourism industry.

With Harmful Algal Blooms being so disruptive and dangerous to humans, it is quite ironic to note that humans are the main reason they exist in the first place. The industrial revolution brought with it Global Warming, causing our warmer seasons to be more intense and last longer, giving HABs the ideal warm environment for growth, expansion, and extended life span. Today, a large contributor to Global Warming is modern transportation. Twenty-eight percent of the United States contribution to greenhouse gasses is caused by transportation exhaust (Carbon Pollution From Transportation | US EPA, 2024).

As Global Warming gives the optimal environment for these blooms, humans are also to blame for feeding them. Agricultural fertilizers and animal waste are washed away during rainfall and accumulate in our waterways (Sources and Solutions | US EPA, 2024). The high density of nitrogen and phosphorus found in this runoff is utilized by the blooms as a source of food. "Scientists believe that nutrient pollution—especially of nitrogen and phosphorus—[are] the basic culprit in feeding the growth of the algae in estuaries and coastal waters” (Wright & Boorse, 2017).

With all the farmland in Michigan and surrounding states, it should be of no surprise The Great Lakes are riddled with excess nutrients. Michigan is known for its agriculture and “leads the nation in the production of several crops” (Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, 2023). As of 2023, over 9,500,000 acres in Michigan have been dedicated to farmland for both crops and livestock (USDA/NASS, n.d.). With little restriction on fertilizer use and animal waste management, these tend to wash into local waterways, eventually moving down stream and accumulating in The Great Lakes.

One of the main solutions to reducing HABs is the use and execution of farm conservation practices. The goal of these practices is to reduce soil erosion, fertilizer runoff, and waste runoff. Although “farm conservation practices” is an abundance of multiple methods, including rotational crops, livestock grazing, and no-till farming, the most efficient method within the farm conservation practices to address runoff is nutrient management (Regenerative Agriculture’s Top Eight Conservation Practices, n.d.).

Nutrient Management Plans outline how much fertilizer should be used on farmland to reduce over-fertilizing which is one of the main causes for increased nutrients in our waterways (Regenerative Agriculture’s Top Eight Conservation Practices, n.d.). The development of nutrient management plans is farm specific and requires one-on-one consultations and analysis of each farm. Creating these plans and paying the staff to create them can get costly, not to mention the cost of implementing the plans themselves. Many of these plans also include upgraded equipment, a price tag many farmers cannot afford. Even with the outpouring of Federal and State-level funding, there has been little progress made against algal blooms with farm conservation practices. In 2015, Michigan and Ohio governors pledged to reduce the phosphorus runoff into Lake Erie by 40% in 10 years, a goal they have not even come close to achieving (Zimnicki, 2024). With the lack of success thus far, it is difficult to convince officials to continue to pour money into this potential solution.

Farm conservation practices would attack blooms at the source; however, to mitigate the HABs that are already in full bloom, barley straw has been shown to be effective in small bodies of water. The effective chemical compounds within barley straw are being researched in depth to hopefully be able to use on larger bodies of water (Kidwell & North Pacific Marine Science Organization, 2015). Copper-based products have been shown to be effective against freshwater blooms, but the application of hydrogen peroxide has been proven to be the most effective control method overall (Kidwell & North Pacific Marine Science Organization, 2015).

Chemical control is a quick and effective method to reduce these blooms after they have already been developed but is not a long-term solution. The chemicals can also cause more concerns to arise. For example, water high in copper can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pains and liver damage, all of which are also side effects of HABs (MN Department of Health, 2023).

Ultrasound is a short-term solution that rivals chemical control. Ultrasound waves disrupt and kill cyanobacterial HABs in surface water. It does so by sending a waveform of a specific size to rupture the gas bubbles, used for buoyancy, within cyanobacteria. When the gas bubbles rupture, it destroys the cellular structure of the bacteria and kills the blooms (Control Measures for Cyanobacterial HABs in Surface Water | US EPA, 2024). Each ultrasound device can cover 8 acres worth of surface area, making it a very precise method. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, non-chemical method which makes it an appealing option. Unfortunately, with the device only covering 8 acres, this method is only effective in small bodies (Control Measures for Cyanobacterial HABs in Surface Water | US EPA, 2024). Large bodies of water would require multiple ultrasound devices, which are quite expensive. To make it a feasible option, there would need to be development of an ultrasound probe with greater penetration to cover a larger radius. Where ultrasound currently stands in its development process, the amount of funding necessary does not make it a sensible option on large bodies of water.

  There is also concern with the frequency of the ultrasound wave used to kill HABs. The frequency used is the same frequency that would kill green algae. This is concerning because green algae provide food and shelter for a large amount of aquatic life. By killing off green algae, the habitats of many marine life would be demolished (Shalaby, 2011). There would also need to be an adjustment in the frequency of the probes to make it effective on HABs without it harming green algae.

With all three options – farm conservation plans, chemical control and ultrasonic destruction – it is clear more research needs to be completed to make any of these options effective in the long term. Funding is needed to expand on each, and this could be a slow process. In the meantime, there are things that can be done at home to reduce the amount of excess nutrients in the waterways and reduce the temperature increases seen by Global Warming.

Home fertilizers, detergents, and cleaning solutions contribute to excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the waterways when not disposed of properly (Sources and Solutions | US EPA, 2024). Throughout Michigan, there are drop off sites for unused chemicals. By utilizing these locations, there would be a large reduction in residential nutrient runoff. Also, switching to more eco-friendly cleaners would reduce the need for these extensive disposal protocols all together. This would reduce the distribution of the nitrogen and phosphorus at the source.

These are some simple solutions I can take advantage of in my own home. I have already started to make the switch to more eco-friendly household cleaners, but I have never utilized the Michigan chemical drop off sites. When looking into these drop off sites, I found there is one about 20 minutes from my home which is quite convenient (Household Hazardous Waste Center - Environmental Health - Health and Community Services - Kalamazoo Michigan County Government Web Site, n.d.). By not properly disposing of household chemicals and by driving freely without realizing the consequences, I am contributing to the global food crisis and health concerns caused by these algae blooms.

Reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles helps lower the effects of global warming, in turn reducing HABs as well. As previously mentioned, HABs thrive in warm climates produced by global warming, where they can reproduce and grow larger. By reducing transportation CO2 emissions, we can shorten the growth season of HABs, resulting in a decrease in size and density.

  I decided to investigate how much I drive to see if there are areas for personal improvement. Using State Farm’s Drive Safe ‘n Save app, I can see how many miles I am traveling. I average 391.4 miles per week, which is equivalent to approximately 20,353 miles per year.

For my age group – 20 to 34 – the average female in 2022 within the United States only drove 12,004 miles annually (Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group, 2021). This means I am creating nearly twice the amount of pollution from my vehicle than other women my age. I am even above the average annual miles for Netherland drivers, which reached 18,548 miles per year in 2024 (Bareckas, 2024).

Driving over 20,000 miles annually means I release about 5.71 metric tons of C02 into the atmosphere from my vehicle every year (Calculate Your Travel Carbon Footprint, n.d.). Comparably, the average passenger vehicle contributes only 4.6 metric tons a year (Greenhouse Gas Emissions From a Typical Passenger Vehicle | US EPA, 2023).

To reduce my CO2 contribution, there are a few changes I could make, the first of which is simply driving less. As a stay-at-home mom with school online, it is ridiculous how much I drive. By driving less, I can drastically reduce how much CO2 I am admitting into the atmosphere. Another option is to get a better fuel economy vehicle. Vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 and the Nissan Leaf have much better fuel economy than my current RAV4. By switching to an eco-friendlier vehicle, I would be producing less C02 per mile driven. My third option is to make use of public transportation. This is not nearly as easy living outside of city limits, but taking public transportation when it is available would reduce my carbon footprint as well. With less vehicles on the roads, there are less vehicles contributing to carbon dioxide pollution.

In reality, the best way to decrease my contribution to Global Warming is a combination of the three solutions: reducing the miles driven, getting a better fuel economy vehicle, and using public transportation when it is available. By combining all three of these solutions, my carbon footprint would be drastically reduced. These are much more difficult to execute than reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in the home and utilizing proper chemical disposal.

Reducing residential citizens carbon footprint and nitrogen and phosphorus runoff is important in the reduction of HABs. However, it is important to remember this is just a small portion of the larger problem with large agricultural productions, this is where the focus and funding needs to remain if we are to ever see mitigation of the harmful algae blooms.

 


Citations:


Algal blooms. (2024, August 5). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/algal-blooms


Average annual miles per driver by age group. (2021). Federal Highway Administration. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm?source=post_page--------------------------- 


Bareckas, K. (2024, July 2). Research: Average mileage per year in Europe and the US | carVertical. carVertical. https://www.carvertical.com/blog/average-mileage-per-year-in-eu-and-us




Control measures for cyanobacterial HABs in surface water | US EPA. (2024, February 26).




Household Hazardous Waste Center - Environmental Health - Health and Community Services - Kalamazoo Michigan County Government web site. (n.d.). https://www.kalcounty.com/hcs/eh/hhw/


Kidwell, D. & North Pacific Marine Science Organization. (2015). Mitigation of harmful algal blooms: The way forward. PICES Press, 23(2). https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/handler.aspx?key=7029 


Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development. (2023). Michigan Agricultural Faces & Figures. In Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development. https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/mdard/documents/business-development/mi_ag_facts_figures.pdf?rev=880dd023f529407cb2580b90503d7d7d#:~:text=The%20state%20leads%20the%20nation,states%20in%20the%20United%20States.



Regenerative Agriculture’s top eight conservation practices. (n.d.). Chesapeake Bay Foundation. https://www.cbf.org/issues/agriculture/eight-key-conservation-practices-used-in-regenerative-agriculture.html 


Selzer, M. (2022, July 6). The state of knowledge on harmful algal blooms of cyanobacteria in the Great Lakes. https://www.michigan.gov/egle/newsroom/mi-environment/2022/07/06/the-state-of-knowledge-on-harmful-algal-blooms-of-cyanobacteria-in-the-great-lakes


Shalaby, E. (2011). Algae as promising organisms for environment and health. Plant Signaling & Behavior, 6(9), 1338–1350. https://doi.org/10.4161/psb.6.9.16779 

Sources and Solutions | US EPA. (2024, July 19). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions


Trusted Choice, & Green, J. (2023, November 3). Average miles driven by state in the US. TrustedChoice.com. https://www.trustedchoice.com/insurance-articles/wheels-wings-


USDA/NASS. (n.d.). 2023 State Agriculture Overview: Michigan. USDA. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=MICHIGAN


What you can do: in your home | US EPA. (2024, May 6). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/what-you-can-do-your-home


Wright, R. T., & Boorse, D. (2017). Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future (13e ed.). Benjamin Cummings.

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page