Increased phosphorus is causing massive algae blooms in Lake Erie at the heart of North America and a scientist says they are becoming “very difficult to control.” Last week toxins generated by algae forced one Ohio township to warn 2,000 residents to not drink of use the water coming from their taps.
Lake Erie is one of five lakes that make up the Great Lakes. They hold 20 per cent of the world’s fresh water and provide drinking water to 30 million people in Canada and the United States.
More intense storms have created more run-off that ends up in the lake and the storms are starting earlier in the year. Phosphorus is used in farm fertilizer, lawn fertilizer and products like shampoo and toothpaste.
Algae blooms were bad in 2011 and Raj Bejankiwar, a scientist at the International Joint Commission which oversees the Great Lakes predicted this year would see near-record algae levels. He was right.
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