New Sampling Data; Toxin Advisories Continue
Due to the presence of algal toxins found within the water of a number of inland lakes across Ohio and Lake Erie, Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) are releasing a comprehensive list of updated sampling results for algal toxins including microcystin, anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin and saxitoxin. All state parks remain open.
Grand Lake St. Marys:
Microcystin levels at Grand Lake St. Marys (Auglaize and Mercer counties) continue to be low. Samples taken last week at Camp, West and East beaches had levels ranging from 2.1 to 4.6 parts per billion (ppb), with West Beach the highest. Anatoxin-a was at the lowest detection limit (0.05-0.1 ppb) at East beach and was not detected at Camp Beach or West Beach. Saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin were not detected. A sample at the Celina water plant intake had microcystin at 3.7 ppb. No toxins have been detected in the city’s treated drinking water. The toxin advisory remains in place due to the positive anatoxin detection at East Beach.
Wingfoot Lake State Park:
Due to continued elevated levels of microcystin, Wingfoot Lake remains under a toxin advisory. People and their pets, including hunting dogs, should avoid contact with any algae and direct contact with the water. Results from the October 18 sampling showed microcystin ranging from
1.9 ppb to 46.5 ppb. There were no detections of saxitoxin, cylindrospermopsin and anatoxin-a.
Lake Alma State Park:
The results of the sample taken October 18 from the surface of Lake Alma (Vinton County) show no anatoxin but trace amounts of cylindrospermopsin (0.1 ppb), microcystins (0.7 ppb) and saxitoxin (0.09 ppb). No toxins were found in the sample taken one foot below the surface of the lake. The toxin advisory remains for the Lake Alma Dog Park. No changes have been reported in the water quality conditions at the drinking water plant.
No Contact Advisory: Avoid any and all contact with and ingestion of the lake water. This includes launching watercraft on the lakes.
Toxin Advisory: Avoid contact with any algae and direct contact with water.
Grand Lake St. Marys
Lake Alma State Park
Maumee Bay State Park (Lake Erie bloom)
Wingfoot Lake State Park
Bloom Advisory: Cautionary advisory to avoid contact with any algae.
The information in this news release is current as of 1 p.m. today. More information about what each advisory means can be found on ODNR’s website at: ohiodnr.com/tabid/22957/Default.aspx.
Because toxin levels can fluctuate, the State will continue sampling from the lakes. Advisories will remain in effect until there have been two consecutive weeks of non-detection for anatoxin-a, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin and two consecutive weeks of microcystin below 20 ppb (set by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the upper end of the moderate-risk range for contact with microcystin). There are no WHO standards for the other toxins.
Additional information and data on Harmful Algal Blooms is online at:
Ohio EPA www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/HAB.aspx
ODH www.odh.ohio.gov/features/odhfeatures/algalblooms.aspx