PROVIDENCE, RI — State environment and health agencies are warning people to avoid all contact with some Glocester, Roger Williams Park and Coventry waters due to toxic blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) blooms.
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) have issued the warning for Coomer Lake in Glocester, Roger Williams Park Ponds in Providence, and a Section of Tiogue Lake known as Fishing Cove in Coventry, according to a statement from the health department.
In each of these areas, RIDOH’s State Laboratories detected high concentrations of cyanobacteria toxins in the water collected by DEM. Blue-green algae toxins can harm humans and animals. Briar Point Beach on Tiogue Lake did not have blue-green algae at the time of sampling, but caution is advised as conditions can change, RIDOH stressed.
All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, should be avoided. People should not ingest water or eat fish from the ponds. Pets can also be affected by exposure to the algal toxins and thus owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in the water. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.
People, animals at risk in toxic waters
People should be careful not to ingest water or eat fish from the ponds. All recreation, including fishing, boating, and kayaking, should be avoided. Animals who may ingest pond water are especially at risk from exposure to the algal toxins, so owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in the water. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.
Skin contact with water containing blue-green algae commonly causes irritation of the skin, nose, eyes, and/or throat. Common health effects associated with ingesting water containing algal toxins include stomach-ache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Rarer health effects include dizziness, headache, fever, liver damage, and nervous system damage. Young children and pets are at a particular risk for health effects associated with algal toxins. People who have had contact with pond waters and experience those symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.
What to do if you contact blooms in lakes & ponds
If you come into contact with the water, rinse your skin with clean water as soon as possible and, when you get home, take a shower and wash your clothes. Similarly, if your pet comes into contact with the water, immediately wash your pet with clean water. Do not let the animal lick its fur. Call a veterinarian if your animal shows any symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning, including loss of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or any unexplained sickness that occurs within a day or so after being in contact with water. People are cautioned that toxins may persist in the water after the blue-green algae bloom is no longer visible.
Beware of unreported blue-green algae blooms
Blue-green algae blooms may also be affecting other waterbodies in Rhode Island. People are advised to avoid contact with waterbodies that exhibit bright green coloration in the water or at the water surface and/or dense floating algal mats that form on the water’s surface. The water may look like green paint, thick pea soup, or green cottage cheese.
For more information and a list of current and historical advisories, go to www.dem.ri.gov/bluegreen Please send reports of suspected blue-green algae blooms, along with photographs, if possible to [email protected].
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