there is no mention in this article of the cause nor the solution to this problem, which is mostly nutrients from excessive agricultural and urban fertilizer, plus septic tanks.
Our Department of Environmental Protection goes to great lengths to hem and haw and study and postpone attacking the solution because they are not ready to take on AG nor the developer. DeSantis appoints teams of scientists and spends large sums of money and this makes a show to the people that he is concerned and working on it. But he and the polluters know it is all a sham.
The First Coast News Staff should have asked the RiverKeeper what the cause was, and I think she would have told them.
Riverkeeper: Toxin Levels From Algae on the St. Johns River Are High
Jacksonville algae samples find toxin levels up to 300x the safe limit
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Test results from algae samples recently collected by St. Johns Riverkeeper found toxin levels up to 300 times the recreational safe limit for microcystins in Jacksonville waterways.
Microcystins are part of a class of toxins produced by freshwater cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, reports the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The current recommended Human Health Recreational Ambient Water Quality Criteria or Swimming Advisories limit is currently 8 micrograms per liter (ug/L) total microcystins.
The St. Johns Riverkeeper reports that in Jacksonville, all five samples tested by Greenwater Labs contained toxins far in excess of what is considered safe for swimming and recreation.
Samples collected at the following locations on Sept. 27 and 28:
- St. Johns River at St. Vincent’s Hospital – 1,060 ug/L
- St. Johns at the end of Seminole Road in Avondale – 2,415 ug/L
- Trout River near Highway 17/Main Street Bridge – 54.8 ug/L
- St. Johns River at River Road in San Marco – 615 ug/L
- Mouth of Craig Creek in San Marco – 491 ug/L
(*UPDATE: As of Oct. 7, The Florida Department of Health in Duval County says the public should also exercise caution in and around the waterway located near the Dames Point Bridge)
The St. Johns Riverkeeper says that the test results differ dramatically from samples recently taken by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) at similar locations.
These toxins can be very dangerous depending on concentration levels and pathways of exposure, according to The St. Johns Riverkeeper.
Toxins produced by the blooms can cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and respiratory irritation. High exposure to toxins can affect the liver and nervous system.
How to protect yourself:
- If skin contact occurs, wash off immediately and thoroughly with clean water and soap
- Pet owners should prevent their pets from drinking or swimming in bodies of water where algal blooms are present
- Citizens can help prevent algae blooms and nutrient pollution by limiting the use of fertilizers, picking up dog waste, maintaining septic tanks, and reaching out to their elected officials to demand protective policies to reduce nutrient loading in waterways
The Riverkeeper says you should not recreate, boat, swim, or fish near an algae bloom.
If you encounter an algae bloom, you can report it to the FDEP by calling 855-305-3903 or completing an online form. You can also report to St. Johns RIverkeeper at report@sjrk.org.
Visit www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org for more information.
Another BS comment from the “peanut gallery” indicting agricultural and residential use of fertilizer as the major cause of the blue-green algae. Hey, folks!, wrap your heads around the facts, not rhetorical “arm-chair environmentalist” gibberish! I spent fourteen years on the St Johns River and its tributaries documenting fish populations, water quality, point-sources of
pollution, eel-grass growth, and “on-the-water” creel censuses including Rodman Reservoir,
and I can attest to the fact that the major source of nutrient overload to the St Johns River
is from sewage treatment outfalls all the way from southern Brevard County to Jacksonville, and up the Ocklawaha River from its Harris chain of lakes headwaters in central Florida. Sad
to say, arm-chair environmentalists are being led astray by pro-development disinformation!