In Utah, A Study To Predict Toxic Algae

Toxic algae has become a major concern in different parts of the United States. Coastal areas like Florida have had many of the issues, especially with algal blooms affecting drinking water.

However, there has emerged a reason for hope in combating the algae problem. Scientists are studying the waters of Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake, with the goal of determining how to foresee algae outbreaks before they take place.

This would allow officials to be able to warn locals ahead of time, Christopher Shope, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Utah told the Associated Press, per St. George News.

Shope added that the study is experimental, designed to show that “longer- term” research is worth the investment financially.

The study hopes to focus on the nutrients causing widespread algae. Researchers plan to examine wastewater treatment plants and agriculture operations.

The Huffington Post reported that algae has been growing at an alarming rate, usually from “an influx of nutrients in waterways.”

The highest incidents of algae blooms usually take place in industrialized countries, according to The Huffington Post, such as North America, Europe, and eastern Asia. Usually due to runoff from industries and cities.

The study launched after an algae bloom this summer covered nearly 150-square-miles of Utah Lake, leaving numerous amounts of people sick, according to St. George News.

Known as blue-green algae, the bacteria spread quickly through Utah Lake, the lake reopened after the algae was taken under control.

Ben Holcomb of Utah’s Division of Water Quality said his team is grateful for the U.S. Geological Survey’s assistance.

“It really helps us fill in those gaps across the lake,” said Holcomb, the biological assessment program coordinator.

Holocomb added that he’s not sure of any correct way to remove algae blooms in large bodies of water with protected wildlife, but said that being able to monitor water readings would be beneficial to officials.

“We would be able to get the word out quicker to perhaps keep people off the lake,” Holcomb said. “The amount of data limits our ability to make good, quick decisions.”

To read about preventing algal bloom visit Water Online’s Nutrient Removal Solutions Center.

Processed Sewage Sludge (“bio solids”): A Major Source of Food and Water Contamination. 08/19/2016

The land application of processed sewage sludge from municipal, hospital and industrial sources, plus stormwater runoff, generally called “safe” by the EPA and your local State Environmental Agencies, is a lie when you consider “safe” means free from risk.
High concentrations of phosphates (Phosphorus = P) are found in sewage sludge, which is referred to as “Class A and B Biosolids” by some and AB in Texas. Phosphate is excreted though feces and urine after the digestion process, and flushed into the sewer system. Other contributors of P come from cleaning (Trisodium Phosphate), which also ends up in the sewer.

Let us multiply just how many contributions by the US population X 365 flushes a year. (2016 US Population 322,762,018 X 365)*. In addition, any particulate phosphorous can be turned into phosphate by the anaerobic digestion phase of waste treatment. Now consider 25 years of, EPA CFR 40 503, dumping sewage on top of the ground on farms, forests and fields, and even consumer bags, and you get a health and environmental nightmare that cannot be stopped because of the money involved.

Money.
* Note: It is estimated that each and every person in the US poops about 3 – 5 times per day and flushes about 10 times per day.

Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) cannot control the concentrations of, nor do they test for P, so it is common for a field to be over burdened with phosphates and effluent which go directly into surface and ground water. Commercial P applications can be controlled. Sewage Sludge or “bio‐solids” sources of P cannot.

Look at your algae blooms to figure out where excess phosphates end up.
Q: What impact does phosphate have on the environment?
A: Phosphate supports the growth of plants, including algae. When too much phosphate is present, excessive amounts of algae can develop. This may lead to undesirable water quality impacts, including reductions in aquatic life, poor taste, and odors in drinking water.
Without any consideration of pathogens, let us add more chemicals to the mix.

Read a little known regulation 40 CFR 261.30(d) and 261.33 (4), every US industry connected to a sewer can discharge any amount of hazardous and acute hazardous waste into sewage treatment plants.
When the sewage industry tells you “pre‐treatment of these industrial chemicals are strictly regulated,” read the EPA’s Office of Inspector General’s Report No.14‐P‐0363‐ 09/2014 where you will instantly see they are BALD FACE PREVARICATORS!
(Just Google the Report number).

Now tell me what happens to those persistent hazardous chemicals when you heat them and mix them together in a digester and send them out to a farm, forest or even in consumer product bags, labeled as made from “bio solids.”

Chemicals that are persistent in the environment, bio accumulate in people and/or wildlife, and are toxic, are called Persistent, Bio accumulative Toxics (PBTs). Because of these features, as long as they remain in commerce and may therefore be released into the environment, they will threaten the health of humans and wildlife. To make matter worse some algae blooms produce toxins such as microcystin (a hemotoxin), phycotoxins, domoic acid, brevetoxin which are all neurotoxins for fish, birds and other wildlife like humans.

Farmers and Consumers are being badly used to dump their municipal, industrial, hospital, stormwater, and household sewage on farms to save cities money, because of the cost to put it in a landfill. They are not told all the facts so they can make an informed decision.

Money
Go figure.

http://www.wateronline.com/doc/in-utah-a-study-to-predict-toxic-algae-0001