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Mother Nature has definitely given us some very warm temperatures this summer. This is great for getting outside and enjoying a variety of activities we can only do during the summer. Enjoy a festival, walk on the beach, or take a hike to a waterfall, these are just a few ideas to get you out and enjoy the nice weather and picturesque sights. Whether you like the heat or seek out air conditioning it only lasts a few short months in New England!
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Algae are microscopic plants that are found in waterways. An algal bloom occurs when there is an excess of nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen. These nutrients often enter the waterways from runoff on lawns and farmlands. When large amounts of these nutrients build up they overfeed the algae that exist normally in the environment and resulting in increased growth of algae and green plants. As more algae and plants grow, others die off from lack of oxygen creating even more nutrients; this causes the water to become murky and creates an unpleasant odor.
Most blooms in New England are either made up of diatoms, a common type of phytoplankton, or blue-green algae, known as cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are responsible for many of the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) that cause ecological, economical and public health concerns in waterways, many times through the production of cyanotoxins.
Health impacts from cyanotoxins in drinking water may include fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, blisters, stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, allergic reactions, liver inflammation and hemorrhage, acute pneumonia, acute dermatitis, kidney damage, and potential tumor growth promotion. Swimming or recreating in waters with harmful algal blooms may lead to allergic
reactions, including irritated eyes, ears and throat, gastrointestinal distress, and rashes and skin lesions.
Groundwater wells do not typically produce cyanotoxins. However, there could be exceptions if your well is directly affected by surface water. If your well or spring is located within 100 feet of a lake, pond or stream, your well or spring may be under the direct influence of those bodies of water and susceptible to contamination. If you suspect an algae bloom is present switch to bottled water until the bloom has been treated or the conditions are no longer favorable to support the growth of the algae bloom.
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Recreational Water Bodies
At the peak of the beach season, people are visiting the many different sources of water New England has for recreational purposes. However, these trips of leisure can turn sinister at the blink of an eye due to unforeseen dangers.
No, it's not because of mutant piranhas, over-sized alligators, or zombies- the problem is smaller, much, much smaller.
Sometimes our freshwater lakes can become contaminated by sewage and even fecal matter (from both agriculture and humans) in times of intense rainfall or other storm-like conditions. This can create hazardous conditions for swimmers that can lead to serious illness or infection.
One of the threats most common in Maine's many lakes is the bacteria e. Coli. While humans have E. coli in our digestive tracts, it is not the same as the many strands found in the lakes, which may come from animals that live on or near the water. When swimmers ingest lake water with high levels of e.Coli while swimming, they may come down with serious symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Certain strains can have even worse conditions, and can in extreme cases even cause death.
The US Environmental Protection Agency does recommend that water samples be taken frequently at swimming areas to prevent these unhealthy conditions from affecting recreational swimmers. Usually when the beach is informed of their water contamination, they will shut it down to the public. To find out if your lake swimming area has been tested for these contaminants, contact the town office where the water is located or call the beach directly.
We offer an E. coli Beach test. If your results show 235 colonies of bacteria or less you are within the acceptable limits of safe swimming. If your results are higher than 235 colonies no swimming should take place until it retests within the acceptable limits.
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Copper is a metal that occurs naturally in rock, soil, water, sediment, and air. It is an essential element for living organisms, including humans, and, in small amounts, necessary in our diet to ensure good health. However, too much copper can cause adverse health effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea. It has also been associated with liver damage and kidney disease.
The level of copper in surface and groundwater is generally very low. High levels of copper may get introduced into the environment through mining, farming, manufacturing operations, and municipal or industrial wastewater releases into rivers and lakes. Copper can get into drinking water either by directly contaminating well water or through corrosion of copper pipes if your water is acidic. Corrosion of pipes is by far the greatest cause for concern. Copper works its way into the water by dissolving from copper pipes in the household plumbing. The longer the water has been idle in the pipes, the more copper is likely to have absorbed.
At very high levels, copper can cause a bitter metallic taste in water and result in blue-green stains on plumbing fixtures.
Any time a faucet has not been used for six or more hours, you can flush the system by running the water for at least 15 seconds first thing in the morning before drinking or using it, you must flush each faucet individually before using the water to ensure the safety for drinking or cooking. You may also wish to consider water treatment methods such as reverse osmosis, ultra-filtration, distillation, or ion exchange.
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A & L Laboratory, a Division of Granite State Analytical Services | 207-784-5354 | rlabranche@granitestateanalytical.com | www.allaboratory.com
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