Calusa Waterkeeper Looking at Effects of Blue-Green Algae Toxins

Originally published by WINK News on September 13, 2022

As blue-green algae blooms grow, so do health concerns.

Lee County, the Department of Environmental Protection, and FGCU are all monitoring the situation as the Calusa Waterkeeper digs further into air quality testing to protect those living nearby.

John Cassani, the Calusa Waterkeeper, monitors the water to protect its quality and human health.

One of the ways he does that is with ADAM, the aerosol detector for harmful algae monitoring.

“So what we’re trying to do here is look at what potential blue-green algae toxins are in the air,” said Cassani.

The system simulates how much air a human would inhale over a 24-hour period, which is about two liters per minute.

“We know that when you’re inhaling it, it crosses that blood-brain barrier, becomes toxic, more toxic quicker than ingesting it. So that’s what we’re concerned about,” Cassani said.

Scientific research backs that up. A study by University of Miami researchers found a likely link between blooms and certain medical conditions.