In 2018, Southwest Florida suffered through two massive harmful algal blooms: the red tide bloom that persisted off the Gulf coast and the blue-green algae bloom that started in Lake Okeechobee and choked the Caloosahatchee River and its estuary.
While research has been conducted on how far cyanotoxins produced by the blue-green algae can travel through the air, health officials don’t have a clear understanding of possible health effects from breathing them.
Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is embarking on a new study during the 2021 algal bloom season — roughly now through September — to assess the health effects of exposure to cyanotoxins, in part to help officials better inform the public.
Related: Study To Determine Which Source Of Nutrient Pollution Most Feeds Red Tide In Tampa Bay
The “Cyanotoxins in Air Study” (CAST) will look at exposures to cyanotoxins produced by blue-green algae among people who live or work near Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River, Cape Coral’s canals and the St. Lucie River.
In this interview, Dr. Lorrie Backer, epidemiologist at the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health, talks to WGCU about how the study will be conducted and how people can participate if they live the areas being assessed.
Dr. Mike Parsons, professor of marine science at Florida Gulf Coast University, also discusses the study. He will be working to collect data using sampling techniques he and his team have developed over the past few years.
To inquire about participating in the study, call (561) 297-4631 or email cast@cdc.gov.
