NOSM Research Partnership

Challenge:

Cyanobacteria, known commonly as blue-green algae, pose a significant health risk for Northern Ontarians. This is a real issue for those who draw on lakes for summer recreation or drinking water. Exposure to cyanobacteria can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and numb limbs, among other symptoms. For these reasons, many waterways in Northern Ontario face closures due to the growth of blue-green algae blooms.

Services:

Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) in collaboration with CSCA are currently developing a new, faster method of screening lakes and waterways for blue-green algae blooms. Their research suggests that blue-green algae can be identified aerially, using photographic technology that can visualize pigments of the live bacteria.

Result:

Although the research is still in its validation stage, there has been great success to date in identifying blue-green algae blooms in Lake Nipissing in St. Charles, Ontario.