Toxic Algae Returns To Pine Run Creek And Reservoir: DEP

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Less than a year after they were last spotted, toxic algal blooms have returned to Pine Run Creek and reservoir in Doylestown, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection confirmed in an email to Patch.

The cyanobacteria of algae blooms produces the harmful toxin microcystin, which is what was found again recently at Pine Run, officials said. The exact concentrations were not made available Friday afternoon, but they exceeded the EPA recommended concentration of 1.6 parts per billion (ppb) for adults. The federal recommendation for children is 0.3 ppb.

High nutrient runoff - including stormwater runoff, sewage, fecal matter, and fertilizers - are chiefly to blame. Conditions are exacerbated by summer temperatures and sunshine, which helps the algae grow more rapidly.

Residents are urged to avoid swimming or drinking from the water, and should avoid touching it as well, as has the potential to cause rashes.

Blooms can be naturally occurring, but they can also be an hazard to the health of both humans the environment. Large stretches of algae undermine the ecosystem, sucking out the oxygen which aquatic life needs to survive. It also poses inconveniences in the form of excessively slippery rocks on streambeds, and long tangles that can choke out boat engines or prevent enjoyable swimming.

>>Toxic Algae Confirmed In Pine Run Creek: DEP

Its presence is quite noticeable in the area, as it has the appearance of spilled green paint on the water, officials said. At the reservoir, wind has brought a layer of green and brown scum down along the shoreline.

Prevention tactics must be organized around limiting or eliminating runoff sources, authorities said.

Details on exact concentrations will be provided as it becomes available.

Image via Ihor Bondarenko/Shutterstock