Researchers Say Toxins From Blue-Green Algae Can Travel More Than a Mile From Water

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Toxins from blue-green algae can travel in the air more than a mile away from affected water according to a recent study by Florida Gulf Coast University.

They’ve been testing air samples in areas surrounding the Caloosahatchee River since September 2018. Researchers said they’ve found toxins reaching the air more than a mile away from the water and up to as far as three miles away.

They said they found low levels of air toxins but said those toxins are small enough to breathe in.

And this research comes after the Florida Department of Environmental Protection found toxin concentrations in the canals around Cape Coral at double the level that could lead to acute health effects.