Name:

Integrated Science Project Film

Bloom Follow Up
Read the following passage about algal blooms. As you read there are words in bold that you may need
to look up. There are also short definitions on the last page, but feel free to use your phones, a computer,
or a dictionary to look them up as you go to help you make sense of this text.
When algae bloom in aquatic systems, both marine and freshwater, it is a sign that they
have become eutrophic and are flush with nutrients. Usually the algae that bloom under
these conditions are blue-green algae otherwise known as cyanobacteria. But they may
also include green and red algae.
Q: Eutrophication is a sign that the aquatic environment has been flushed with what?

Cyanobacteria respond rapidly to excess nutrients like phosphorous and nitrogen. These
nutrients come into lake ecosystems through a myriad of avenues including: wastewater
treatment facilities that dispose of nutrient-laden water directly into lakes; agriculture,
especially large scale operations that apply fertilizers or manure to their fields and dairies
whose cows have direct contact with waterways; and runoff from roads, storm drains, and
impervious surfaces which collect nutrients when precipitation washes across their
surfaces.
Q: Which nutrients do the cyanobacteria respond to?

Q: Where do these nutrients come from? (You may list them)

Q: What do you think the term impervious means?

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that, like plants, turn carbon dioxide and
water into biomass. When the biomass decays it is decomposed by aerobic organisms
and the decaying matter is called scum. Scum washed up on the shoreline is a visible sign
that an algal bloom has or is taking place.
Q: The chemical formula for photosynthesis is: Balance it.
_____C6H12O6 + _____O2 _____CO2 + _____H2O

Name:

Integrated Science Project Film

Cyanotoxins are chemicals that are synthesized in bacteria including cyanobacteria.

While not all blue-green algae release these chemicals, some species do. You cannot tell
by looking at an algal bloom whether cyanotoxins are present. Still, if even one species of
cyanobacteria is toxic the entire bloom is deemed poisonous and potentially dangerous.
Q: What do the cyanobacteria have the potential to release?

Q: Why is this a concern to our health?

The two most potent cyanotoxins are anatoxin-a and cylindrospermopsis. The potency of
these toxins is referred collectively as microcystins. Researchers compare these
microcystins to plant toxins like curare (known from South America as a poison put on
arrows) and strychnine (widely distributed in plants from warm parts of the world). These
microcystins are known for paralyzing respiration. Anatoxin-a is especially harmful to
humans and is known as the very fast death factor (VFDF) because it attacks nerve
cells and brings on sudden asphyxiation. Because of this, cyanotoxins are listed as high
priority compounds by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are strictly
regulated.
Q: Microcystins are the type of toxins that can be produced by the cyanobacteria. What other
uses are there for these toxins?

Q: What are the concerns if humans consume these toxins?

Accidental ingestion of microcystins, and even inhalation of airborne droplets, can cause
liver damage in animals, including humans, and can paralyze their respiratory canals.
Humans can also be exposed by swimming or wading in water. If ingested, microcystins
cause diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. If the skin is exposed, they can cause rash,
hives, and blisters. Drinking water that contains microcystins, while rare, is the most
direct route of exposure for humans and can cause liver damage.
List some potential side effects if microcystins are consumed.

Name:

Integrated Science Project Film

In 1999 and 2000, three dogs were killed from exposure to microcystins in Lake
Champlain after they reported drank lake water. When the water was tested where the
dogs died, anatoxin-a was discovered. This caused concern among public health officials
because Lake Champlain is a source of drinking water; while microcystins can be filtered
from water special procedures need to be in place to do so. Furthermore, many people
recreate in the lake. Swimming, sailing, kayaking, and even scuba diving are regular
summer activities each of which is a source of exposure. Based on these concerns, water
quality has been monitored for blue-green algae and the presence of microcystins since
2000. This monitoring includes a health advisory alert system that keeps people away
from the water when high concentrations of microcystins are observed and the water is
deemed unsafe.
Long Response Questions:
Freshwater lakes are important to society as sources of drinking water, places of recreation,
transportation, and fishing. But lakes are also used to dispose municipal and agricultural waste.
Can we continue to simultaneously preserve and pollute lakes for human use, if so how might we
go about this? (Please answer in a paragraph form, in complete sentences)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Toxic algae can be just as harmful to animals that arent humans. Furthermore, eutrophication
can indirectly cause deformity in amphibians. Should we extend our concern about toxic
conditions to the health of organisms who arent humans, why or why not? (Please answer in a
paragraph form, in complete sentences)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Name:

Integrated Science Project Film

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Bold Word Definitions:

Eutrophication - is the ecosystem response to the addition of artificial or natural substances,
such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system.

Myriad - is a classical Greek word for the number read as "ten thousand" in English

Impervious - not allowing fluid to pass through.

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy, normally
from the sun, into chemical energy that can be used to fuel the organisms' activities
Aerobic means "requiring air", where "air" usually means oxygen.
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen