Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasingly recognized as a serious environmental and public health concern. … When these algae flourish in drinking water sources such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, they can lead to cyanotoxin concentrations that exceed safety limits set by health organizations. … Recent research conducted in partnership between The Ohio State University, Boise State University, and USGS evaluated UV254 and UV222 irradiation treatment effectiveness to reduced microcystin-LR in samples with known toxins. The findings showed that UV222 not only worked three times faster but also produced fewer harmful byproducts than UV254. The byproducts created from using UV222 do not retain the toxicity of Microcystin-LR, which means that UV222 effectively neutralizes the toxin’s harmful effects.

Other HAB news:

• KCRW (Santa Monica, Calif.): Mystery in Venice: What is killing dogs near the canals?
• Carson Now (Carson City, Nev.): Washoe Lake under Harmful Alga Bloom watch advisory
• Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment: News release: Freshwater HAB-related illness tracking in California