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UTAH LAKE — Toxins found in blue-green algae that has taken over parts of Utah Lake are over 70 times the health advisory level.
Officials with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality have been running tests on the algae samples since earlier this month when a dog died after ingesting some of the pond scum — also known as cyanobacteria — near the Lindon Marina. Autopsy results suggest the dog suffered acute cardiovascular collapse — a side effect of exposure to a neurotoxin that can be produced by this type of algae.
Results revealed that while microcystin — the toxin found in cyanobacteria — levels have dropped in most areas of the lake, samples taken from algae that has accumulated along the Lindon Marina shoreline contained 70 times the “healthy” amount of that toxin.
Exposure to cyanotoxin can produce symptoms such as headache, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and skin rash. Anyone concerned about exposure to the water or algae should contact their doctor or call the Utah Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.
Exposure to the water in that area of the lake will likely cause serious health problems, officials warned. A public health advisory remains in effect for Utah Lake, and boaters, hunters and anglers are cautioned to stay clear of the blue-green areas.
The Utah County Health Department has officially closed the harbor to swimming and bathing. People are asked to keep their animals away from the water as well.
Exposure to cyanotoxin can produce symptoms such as headache, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and skin rash. Anyone concerned about exposure to the water or algae should contact their doctor or call the Utah Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.
Although algae is a natural part of the ecosystem in the lake, when combined with phosphorus and other conditions, it can produce the toxic algal blooms, officials said. Precautions will likely remain in effect until the blooms are gone.
In a statement posted Monday, the DEQ clarified the discrepancy with the results from the initial toxicity study:
"These data highlight how variable toxin concentrations can be within a small area. Earlier sampling results were more broadly representative of microcystin levels within the harbor area, and other samples taken on October 10, 2014, showed that the concentrations of microcystins had dipped below levels that could trigger a public health advisory. The sampling results from the shoreline, however, suggest that earlier data may not have been representative of the water that was ingested by the dog."
Jessica Ivins is a content manager for KSL.com and contributor to the Motherhood Matters section.
