Problems with Blue-Green Algae from Klamath Lake
Blue Green Algae
Blue-green algae (one of eleven groups of algae) are microscopic plants that grow mainly in brackish ponds and lakes throughout the world. Of the more than 1500 known species, some are useful as food, while others have been reported to cause gastroenteritis and hepatitis.
Blue-green algae can be considered as simple aquatic plants that occur naturally in habitats such as rivers, lakes, damp soil, tree trunks, hot springs and snow. They can vary considerably in shape, colour and size.
The two most common species of blue Green algae used for human consumption are Spirulina maxima and Spirulina platensis. Spirulina is particularly rich in protein and also contains carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Spirulina is being developed as the "food of the future" because of its amazing ability to synthesize high-quality concentrated food more efficiently than any other algae. Most notably, Spirulina is 65 to 71 percent complete protein, with all essential amino acids in perfect balance. In comparison, beef is only 22 percent protein.
Blue-green algae are bacteria
Despite their name, blue-green algae are actually types of bacteria known as Cyanobacteria. In external appearance and requirements for light, nutrients and carbon dioxide, they are similar to algae. They normally look green and sometimes may turn bluish when scums are dying. Taste and odour problems commonly occur with large concentrations of blue-green algae and some species are capable of producing toxins.
About the Blue-green Algae Blooms
When conditions are optimal, including light and temperature, levels of nutrients (i.e., phosphorous and nitrogen, and the ratio of the two), and lack of water turbulence, blue-green algae can quickly multiply into a bloom.
Blue-green algae blooms are likely to occur more often in warmer months
When some blooms occur in water bodies, exposure to the blue-green algae and their toxins can pose risks to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. Exposure may occur by ingestion, dermal contact, and aspiration or inhalation
Risks to people may occur when recreating in water in which a blue-green algae bloom is present, or from the use of drinking water that uses a surface water source in which a blue-green algae bloom is present
Exposure to blue-green algae can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and other effects. At high levels, exposure can result in serious illness or death Depending on the particular cyanobacterium, and the amount to which one is exposed, blue-green algae have the potential to cause a variety of adverse health effects, including liver toxicity (e.g., Microcystis aeruginosa) and neurotoxicity (e.g., Anabaena circinalis). Microcystin toxins may also promote tumor growth Destruction of Cyanobacteria cells may release the toxins into surrounding waters, so care must be taken in dealing with blue-green algae blooms
These threats are not just theoretical. Several dog deaths have been reported following the dogs' exposure to blue-green algae in water bodies.
Worldwide animal poisonings and adverse human health effects have been reported.
Web Resources
What is Blue-Green Algae – AFA: Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) Blue-green algae is the first protein and most ancient food on earth. At the bottom of the food chain, it is the most nutrient-rich food (ounce for ounce) known to be created by nature. This simple organism is complete nutrition in its most basic form - the "building blocks of health".
Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae: An ancient blue-green Microalgae has popularized this nutrient dense whole food that contains more protein, B12 and chlorophyll than any other food source.
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in Klamath Lake: There are over 30,000 species of algae, 6000 are classified blue-green. Blue-green is the oldest form of algae. It's said to have been the first organism on Earth to photosynthesize (use the energy of the sun to make food for itself). Blue-green algae is what scientists search for first when they're looking for life on other planets because blue-green algae is what gets the whole process started
Blue Green Algae (Spirulina Sp.): Blue green algae has been used for weight loss and as a nutritional supplement. Blue green algae has also been used for boosting the immune system and for controlling cholesterol levels. Some herbal/diet supplement products have been found to contain possibly harmful impurities/additives. Check with your pharmacist for more details regarding the particular brand you use. The FDA has not reviewed this product for safety or effectiveness. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
What does blue-green algae do?: Blue-green algae, of which spirulina is a well-known example, is a group of 1,500 species of microscopic aquatic plants. The two most common species used for human consumption are Spirulina maxima and Spirulina platensis. Spirulina is particularly rich in protein and also contains carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
What Is Spirulina: Spirulina is a blue-green algae. It is a simple, one-celled form of algae that thrives in warm, alkaline fresh-water bodies. The name "spirulina" is derived from the Latin word for "helix" or "spiral"; denoting the physical configuration of the organism when it forms swirling, microscopic strands.Where is it found?: Blue-green algae grow in some lakes, particularly those rich in salts, in Central and South America, and Africa. They are also grown in outdoor tanks specifically to be harvested for nutritional supplements.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) Blooms: Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are any of a number of species of microscopic bacteria that are photosynthetic. They may exist as single cells or groups of cells. They occur naturally in surface waters.
The Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria): The algae are the simplest members of the plant kingdom, and the blue-green algae are the simplest of the algae. They have a considerable and increasing economic importance; they have both beneficial and harmful effects on human life. Blue-greens are not true algae. They have no nucleus, the structure that encloses the DNA, and no chloroplast, the structure that encloses the photosynthetic membranes, the structures that are evident in photosynthetic true algae.
Monitoring for Blue-green Algae: Human Health issues in the Lake Champlain Basin: blue-green algae.
Blue-green algae supplements: Blue-green algae supplements come in the form of capsules, pills, and powders. An important part of the food chain in lakes and ponds worldwide, blue-green algae are microscopic plants with characteristics of both bacteria and algae (such as seaweed), but are more closely akin to bacteria.
Why should you eat the Blue Green Algae?: The algae contains Floridan Starch, multiple vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, beta carotene, chlorophyll and essential fatty acids. Latest research shows that the algae is a good dietary source of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, and these precious ingredients may be more readily bioavailable to us than vitamin supplements made in a laboratory.
Blue-Green Algae: Spirulina has many potential medicinal uses. First, it contains antioxidants such as beta carotene and zeaxanthin. Antioxidants are thought to protect body cells from damage caused by a chemical process called oxidation, which breaks foods down into components the body can use for energy.
Blue-green algae (Anabaena flosaquae) Toxicity Studies: Blue-green algae (Anabaena flosaquae) Toxicity Studies - Toxicology studies from the primary scientific literature on aquatic organisms.
Toxic Algal Blooms – A Sign Of Rivers Under Stress: The decomposition of dead blue-green algal cells by bacteria consumes oxygen. When billions of such cells die during a bloom, the water becomes oxygen-depleted. This can lead to the death of other marine organisms, including fish, which need oxygen to survive. As well, the blue-green algae contain toxins that affect human and animal health.
Blue Green Algal Toxicity: Blue-green algae have been known to be a cause of toxicity in lakes, ponds and dugouts for over 100 years, since the first poisoning cases were recorded. Cases of animal poisonings have occurred all over the world, including Alberta. Continuing research has shown that blue-green algae can produce different types of toxins or poisons. Only a few of the toxin-producing blue-green species are normally abundant in central Alberta lakes. Fortunately, these few species are toxic only on occasion because each species may have many strains and only some strains.
Blue-Green Algal Blooms in Lakes: This brochure has been produced to answer the more frequent enquiries received by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (now called Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection) on blue-green Algal Blooms in lakes and to provide you with general information on related water management concerns.
Blue-green algae (one of eleven groups of algae) are microscopic plants that grow mainly in brackish ponds and lakes throughout the world. Of the more than 1500 known species, some are useful as food, while others have been reported to cause gastroenteritis and hepatitis.
Blue-green algae can be considered as simple aquatic plants that occur naturally in habitats such as rivers, lakes, damp soil, tree trunks, hot springs and snow. They can vary considerably in shape, colour and size.
The two most common species of blue Green algae used for human consumption are Spirulina maxima and Spirulina platensis. Spirulina is particularly rich in protein and also contains carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Spirulina is being developed as the "food of the future" because of its amazing ability to synthesize high-quality concentrated food more efficiently than any other algae. Most notably, Spirulina is 65 to 71 percent complete protein, with all essential amino acids in perfect balance. In comparison, beef is only 22 percent protein.
Blue-green algae are bacteria
Despite their name, blue-green algae are actually types of bacteria known as Cyanobacteria. In external appearance and requirements for light, nutrients and carbon dioxide, they are similar to algae. They normally look green and sometimes may turn bluish when scums are dying. Taste and odour problems commonly occur with large concentrations of blue-green algae and some species are capable of producing toxins.
About the Blue-green Algae Blooms
When conditions are optimal, including light and temperature, levels of nutrients (i.e., phosphorous and nitrogen, and the ratio of the two), and lack of water turbulence, blue-green algae can quickly multiply into a bloom.
Blue-green algae blooms are likely to occur more often in warmer months
When some blooms occur in water bodies, exposure to the blue-green algae and their toxins can pose risks to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. Exposure may occur by ingestion, dermal contact, and aspiration or inhalation
Risks to people may occur when recreating in water in which a blue-green algae bloom is present, or from the use of drinking water that uses a surface water source in which a blue-green algae bloom is present
Exposure to blue-green algae can cause rashes, skin and eye irritation, allergic reactions, gastrointestinal upset, and other effects. At high levels, exposure can result in serious illness or death Depending on the particular cyanobacterium, and the amount to which one is exposed, blue-green algae have the potential to cause a variety of adverse health effects, including liver toxicity (e.g., Microcystis aeruginosa) and neurotoxicity (e.g., Anabaena circinalis). Microcystin toxins may also promote tumor growth Destruction of Cyanobacteria cells may release the toxins into surrounding waters, so care must be taken in dealing with blue-green algae blooms
These threats are not just theoretical. Several dog deaths have been reported following the dogs' exposure to blue-green algae in water bodies.
Worldwide animal poisonings and adverse human health effects have been reported.
Web Resources
What is Blue-Green Algae – AFA: Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) Blue-green algae is the first protein and most ancient food on earth. At the bottom of the food chain, it is the most nutrient-rich food (ounce for ounce) known to be created by nature. This simple organism is complete nutrition in its most basic form - the "building blocks of health".
Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae: An ancient blue-green Microalgae has popularized this nutrient dense whole food that contains more protein, B12 and chlorophyll than any other food source.
Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in Klamath Lake: There are over 30,000 species of algae, 6000 are classified blue-green. Blue-green is the oldest form of algae. It's said to have been the first organism on Earth to photosynthesize (use the energy of the sun to make food for itself). Blue-green algae is what scientists search for first when they're looking for life on other planets because blue-green algae is what gets the whole process started
Blue Green Algae (Spirulina Sp.): Blue green algae has been used for weight loss and as a nutritional supplement. Blue green algae has also been used for boosting the immune system and for controlling cholesterol levels. Some herbal/diet supplement products have been found to contain possibly harmful impurities/additives. Check with your pharmacist for more details regarding the particular brand you use. The FDA has not reviewed this product for safety or effectiveness. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
What does blue-green algae do?: Blue-green algae, of which spirulina is a well-known example, is a group of 1,500 species of microscopic aquatic plants. The two most common species used for human consumption are Spirulina maxima and Spirulina platensis. Spirulina is particularly rich in protein and also contains carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.
What Is Spirulina: Spirulina is a blue-green algae. It is a simple, one-celled form of algae that thrives in warm, alkaline fresh-water bodies. The name "spirulina" is derived from the Latin word for "helix" or "spiral"; denoting the physical configuration of the organism when it forms swirling, microscopic strands.Where is it found?: Blue-green algae grow in some lakes, particularly those rich in salts, in Central and South America, and Africa. They are also grown in outdoor tanks specifically to be harvested for nutritional supplements.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) Blooms: Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are any of a number of species of microscopic bacteria that are photosynthetic. They may exist as single cells or groups of cells. They occur naturally in surface waters.
The Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria): The algae are the simplest members of the plant kingdom, and the blue-green algae are the simplest of the algae. They have a considerable and increasing economic importance; they have both beneficial and harmful effects on human life. Blue-greens are not true algae. They have no nucleus, the structure that encloses the DNA, and no chloroplast, the structure that encloses the photosynthetic membranes, the structures that are evident in photosynthetic true algae.
Monitoring for Blue-green Algae: Human Health issues in the Lake Champlain Basin: blue-green algae.
Blue-green algae supplements: Blue-green algae supplements come in the form of capsules, pills, and powders. An important part of the food chain in lakes and ponds worldwide, blue-green algae are microscopic plants with characteristics of both bacteria and algae (such as seaweed), but are more closely akin to bacteria.
Why should you eat the Blue Green Algae?: The algae contains Floridan Starch, multiple vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, beta carotene, chlorophyll and essential fatty acids. Latest research shows that the algae is a good dietary source of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, and these precious ingredients may be more readily bioavailable to us than vitamin supplements made in a laboratory.
Blue-Green Algae: Spirulina has many potential medicinal uses. First, it contains antioxidants such as beta carotene and zeaxanthin. Antioxidants are thought to protect body cells from damage caused by a chemical process called oxidation, which breaks foods down into components the body can use for energy.
Blue-green algae (Anabaena flosaquae) Toxicity Studies: Blue-green algae (Anabaena flosaquae) Toxicity Studies - Toxicology studies from the primary scientific literature on aquatic organisms.
Toxic Algal Blooms – A Sign Of Rivers Under Stress: The decomposition of dead blue-green algal cells by bacteria consumes oxygen. When billions of such cells die during a bloom, the water becomes oxygen-depleted. This can lead to the death of other marine organisms, including fish, which need oxygen to survive. As well, the blue-green algae contain toxins that affect human and animal health.
Blue Green Algal Toxicity: Blue-green algae have been known to be a cause of toxicity in lakes, ponds and dugouts for over 100 years, since the first poisoning cases were recorded. Cases of animal poisonings have occurred all over the world, including Alberta. Continuing research has shown that blue-green algae can produce different types of toxins or poisons. Only a few of the toxin-producing blue-green species are normally abundant in central Alberta lakes. Fortunately, these few species are toxic only on occasion because each species may have many strains and only some strains.
Blue-Green Algal Blooms in Lakes: This brochure has been produced to answer the more frequent enquiries received by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (now called Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection) on blue-green Algal Blooms in lakes and to provide you with general information on related water management concerns.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chris Carlton on -
Thank you for a well written explanation. Can you shed any light on all this phytoplankton stuff? or any of the other new "food".
Cheers,
Chris
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Permalink Reply by Jasmine.green on -
PLA that is my curiosity too. E3 live and Cell tech, who I used to get AFA from back in the day, never said they test for algal content. They look for certain toxins, but I never could figure out how they assure that the algae they're picking is AFA and none other when there are thousands of blue-green algaes. Do the blooms look different? Neither company, as far as I know, answers these questions on their site.
I've heard Upper Klamath Lake is significantly polluted (from Earthjustice, whom I trust) , and the companies still describe it as 'pristine'.
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Permalink Reply by Jasmine.green on
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Thanks EV I'd forgotten what Cell tech changed their name to.
I looked at Wayne Carmichael's website, he says this:
"Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Lyngbya, and Aphanizomenon produce neurotoxic anatoxins and/or saxitoxins. Anatoxin-a and Anatoxin-a(s) seem unique to cyanobacteria, while saxitoxin also arise in certain marine algae. Anatoxin-a is a potent nicotinic agonist that mimics acetylcholine and is used as a research tool in neurobiology. Anatoxin-a(s) is a structurally new organophosphate that inhibits acetylcholinesterase. Saxitoxin prevents acetylcholine from being released from neurons by blocking the inward flow of sodium ions across the axonal membrane channels, disrupting the communication between neurons and muscle cells."
If it mimics acetylcholine that would explain the feeling of 'brain boost' you get from taking sbga.
Then I re-stumbled upon this article, which is rather scary:
http://www.tldp.com/issue/167/algae.html
And there's the whole BMAA thing, which was scary enough to make me stop taking it a few years back.
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Permalink Reply by Jasmine.green on
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It also says that they have shown up in Klamath Lake in the past, and that A. flos-aquae usually produces anatoxins. Why they aren't getting produced more often in Klamath Lake is a good question, but one I don't really want to tangle with.
The photos you posted of Klamath Lake are beautiful. I don't think Earthjustice or any of the environmental advocacy groups who work to keep the lake clean, are claiming that the lake is polluted in high-profile ways. The balance of aquatic life has been altered at the microbial level by external and internal (algal) inputs. A. flos-aquae is, if I understand it correctly, practically like a monoculture in upper Klamath Lake now, which used to have incredible biodiversity. Except that it co-blooms with a toxic species, M. aeruginosa. And that shift is correlated, apparently, with an increase in the levels of pollution from human inputs.
I have taken plenty of supplements that gave me a "nice brain boost" that weren't actually any good for me. I took Cell Tech for a few years, I loved the products, though I hate MLM. But having to do animal testing to assess the safety of the algae?! I think afa is kind of like cacao. Yummy, lovey-dovey, and a thoroughly mixed bag.
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Permalink Reply by Kaybee on -
ive wondered about things like this too. i was speaking to someone who grew up in the klamath lake area and she said that its a strange place...strange energy in that area, and in fact high suicide rates in her town . i cant imagine the lake is really unpolluted either. i know this is just anecdotal, but the way she talked about the bad vibe and bad energy around there really puzzles me about why this is considered such a superfood. i dont have any desire to use it.
that said, i guess i didnt realize it was spirulina. i dont generally use spirulina anyway, but just wondering if there are other sources of spirulina that are kind of, um... safer? or whatever? and/or why is the klamath lake one special?
similarly to the pollution issue, i also wonder with things such as those mineral drops that you can add to distilled water to put the minerals back in (forget what theyre called but they come in a white plastic bottle with 2 toned blue label)...THOSE come from the great salt lake, which i also cant imagine being unpolluted, given that Salt lake city is right there...and yet i see them advocated by well known doctors and health figures (some within the RF movement)...
so i dunno.
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Permalink Reply by Mary on -
Hi Pink Lady Apple,
Yours are great questions: I have just posted another article on the subject and I think it will answer many of your questions. My understanding is that microcystins that may cause liver damage may be most prevalent at certain times in Klamath Lake. They claim that the lake is so pure and pristine; I am sure it was such a long time ago but now, I hear that the area is much more populated so its impossible to keep it perfectly clean at all times. I, too, heard some strange stories about Klamath Lake in general.
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Permalink Reply by Uti on -
Pink, The river and stream waters feeding the shallow Upper Klamath Lake are probably some of the purest in the country. I've fished and canoed in that area. The Wood River, which I canoed in it's entirety, is a giant crystal clear spring that bubbles up out of the volcanic rock feeding the filtered water down from the highlands around Crater Lake. It was amazing to float across the "pond" at the source and look down 20 feet to see the light sandy bottom clearly and the jets of water squirting up. The Sprague and Williamson rivers are full of giant wild rainbow trout. The algae is the basis of the food chain that produces the invertebrate complex that feeds the trout. The growths of algae are like giant green strands of hair in these rivers. Someone told me that the algae is not harvested from the lake itself, but from the colder water sources next to the lake -- true or not, I don't know. I did see a place while driving one of the back roads where there were long concrete troughs with the cold water diverted through them that were full of the algae. My host said that was where they grew the stuff that "them health nuts" ate.
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Permalink Reply by Mary on
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Hi Pink Lady Apple,
Wow, the area sounds wonderful! You are one lucky lady to live there!
Living on the East Coast is a different story................
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Permalink Reply by telefunken on -
Did I miss the links or any mention of the source(s) of this information? Thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Mary on
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Hi Telefunken,
The above article was posted on website "Oilgae" - they have much more info in there on algae in general, not just Klamath Lake. Also, please read the second article on blue green algae that I have just posted: it addresses "microcystins" in the Klamath Lake algae that may cause liver damage.
Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Uti on
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Mary, could you please post the links to your articles, Oilgae is a pretty big website.
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Permalink Reply by telefunken on
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After reading this several times, I've yet to understand how this describes a problem with blue green algae from Klamath Lake (as the title clearly indicates)
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