A Fateful Bond
When harmful algal blooms approach shoreline communities along Lake Erie, residents get worried: in addition to being generally unpleasant, the overabundance of blue-green algae could very well be producing microcystin, a toxin that affects the liver, skin, and nervous system. Water treatment plants that draw drinking water directly from the lake have learned to deal with the toxin, but the additional treatment cost can add up quickly at $3,000 per day.
An additional problem is posed by the fact that not all algal blooms are toxic, not all seemingly clear water is free of microcystin, and not all of the microcystin produced in an algal bloom is dissolved in the water column. Some of it may also adhere to sediments, which would make the toxin stick around for longer than it would if it remained in the water.