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Wednesday, 08 July 2009 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — An Ohio Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson says varying test results of toxin levels in Grand Lake St. Marys are the result of the different procedures used by a Florida laboratory and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and city of Celina.
Samples taken June 30 by ODNR and the city of Celina showed levels of a toxin associated with bluegreen algae to be at levels below the standard of 20 parts per billion set by the World Health Organization. The data shows near the intake to be at 8 and 9.5; Safety Island to be at 12.9 and 13.8; Camp Beach to be at 7.1 and 9.2; East Beach to be at 7.8 and 9.5 and West Beach to be at 6 and 10 parts per billion. The results continued a trend of falling levels of microcystin — a toxin that can cause illness in humans and death in animals.
Ohio EPA spokesperson Dina Pierce told The Evening Leader EPA officials decided to test samples along with ODNR and the city of Celina for a comparison. Pierce said the lab the EPA uses — GreenWater Labs — tests for the toxin using a different technique than ODNR and Celina.
GreenWater Labs’ results showed Camp Beach to be at 61 parts per billion, East Beach to be at 47 and West Beach to be at 56. Pierce said the difference comes down to kits used by each entity.
“We don’t suspect any wrongdoing,” Pierce said. “We said all along that sometimes it produces the toxin and sometimes it doesn’t. These numbers were coming down so fast, we said let’s do a split sample from the same places and send it to a lab in Florida.”
Pierce said GreenWater specializes in this type of testing and uses a technique that kills the algae before reading the water’s toxin level. The algae produces the toxin once it dies — something Pierce said gives GreenWater the opportunity to provide the “worst case scenario” levels.
“It’s one reason we use them,” Pierce said. “We want to have the numbers that are most protective.”
Pierce said kits used by ODNR and Celina do not kill the algae during testing. However Pierce said both procedures are acceptable under protocol for each kit.
“It’s a kit that is commonly used by states and local entities for this analysis,” Pierce said of ODNR and Celina’s testing procedure.
“We are trying to use a method to be conservative and be as protective as we can be for public health. We prefer this method because it will give the absolute highest possible number so we will know what the highest risk would be.”
Water advisory signs have been posted along the lake since May, notifying visitors of the presence of the toxin.
Despite falling numbers, Pierce said officials did not remove the signs because numbers could rise and fall without much warning.
“Even if numbers fall below 20, we want it to be below 20 for at least a few weeks and sampling would continue after that,” Pierce said. “One of our main jobs is to protect public health and we want to be conservative and make sure numbers are down and staying down before we recommend removing the advisories. Those could stay up all summer.”
Pierce stressed officials of both entities are following proper procedures given their respective protocol.
With no national standard for testing, Pierce said uniformity does not exist.
“Both are correct,” Pierce said. “What Celina is doing is appropriate for the lab process they purchased to do this.”
Pierce said the advisories do not restrict water contact for visitors to the lake. Like any nonchlorinated water, Pierce said common sense is important.
“Go in and enjoy yourself and just be aware of the risk and do the same thing in any nonchlorinated water,” Pierce said. “Other states have had dog fatalities because of this — that’s why we’ve issued no contact for pets.”
Pierce said EPA officials will periodically draw samples to test throughout the summer months. Officials have previously said they expect algae levels to spike as summer sets in because of the warm temperatures that help it thrive. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 01 September 2009 )
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