Table of Contents
What types of algae are harmful?
Harmful algae and cyanobacteria (sometimes called blue-green algae) can produce toxins (poisons) that can make people and animals sick and affect the environment. Learn more about them to keep you and your pets safe.
Is green algae poisonous?
Some blue-green algae can produce toxins, some do not. However, exposure to any blue-green algae blooms can cause health effects in people and animals when water with blooms is touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled.
Can algae harm humans?
Harmful algal blooms are the rapid growth of algae or cyanobacteria that can cause harm to people, animals, or the local ecology. These blooms can produce toxins that make people and animals sick. Blooms occur in fresh water, such as lakes and rivers, and salt water, such as oceans or bays.
What does toxic algae do to humans?
Exposure to high levels of blue-green algae and their toxins can cause diarrhea, nausea or vomiting; skin, eye or throat irritation; and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties.
Is green algae toxic to humans?
Some blue-green algae produce toxins or poisons. In their toxic form, blue-green algae can cause illness in humans, pets, waterfowl, and other animals that come in contact with the algae. Toxic blooms can kill livestock and pets that drink the water. Skin rashes on humans after being in the water.
Is algae water safe to drink?
Is it safe to use untreated algae-affected water from a lake, dam or stream? No. Do not use untreated algae-affected water for drinking, showering or washing. Boiling algae-affected water does not remove toxins.
Can algae hurt dogs?
While most algae are harmless, some species of blue-green algae produce toxins that can kill a dog within minutes. Dogs that survive (who are often exposed to low levels of toxins) may develop health problems such as chronic liver disease and possibly tumors—damage that may go unnoticed until it’s severe.
Is all green algae toxic?
Not all algae are harmful. Algae are natural components of marine and fresh water ecosystems, and form the foundation of most aquatic food chains.
What happens if you touch blue-green algae?
Is green algae harmful?
Red tides, blue-green algae, and cyanobacteria are examples of harmful algal blooms that can have severe impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. Algal blooms can be toxic. Keep people and pets away from water that is green, scummy or smells bad.