Toxic Cyanobacteria Found in Salem Oregon Water Supply

[Wally]

Toxic Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) was found in Salem Oregon’s drinking water supply in May and June 2018.

These toxic blooms are occurring more and more around the world and it would be interesting to understand how the EPA, CDC or other government agency follows a population to see what health effects may develop from exposure to these toxic blooms.

Seems like an opportunity to watch for cluster outbreaks of illnesses that may have occurred at the same time of other toxic blooms. Could historical ME CFS cluster outbreaks have happened during the time of toxic blue green algae outbreaks? There is historical information available that certainly raises the possibility of this link, but is anyone still following this trail?

As of 6/8/2018, a tap water contamination advisory is still in place in Salem Oregon. See, http://www.wweek.com/news/2018/06/0...s-say-the-tap-water-still-isnt-safe-to-drink/

 

[Gingergrrl]

This is very scary and I saw another news article about it today telling residents in Salem, OR, not to drink the water if: children, elderly, immunocompromised, pregnant, liver problems/dialysis, etc, or to allow their pets to drink it.

@zzz Does this affect you and do you have bottled water? (You don't need to reply here but I wanted to make sure you saw it).

 

[Hip]

A toxic cyanobacterium called Microcystis was proposed to be a major causal factor in the Lake Tahoe ME/CFS 1984 outbreak. It may have been some immune damaging affect of this cyanobacteria, in combination with a (likely) enterovirus epidemic in the Lake Tahoe region, that caused this famous ME/CFS outbreak. More info in this post.

Maybe all it would take is for the next ME/CFS outbreak to appear is a combination of toxic cyanobacteria contaminating the water supplies, along with an enterovirus epidemic in the area.


Although these days authorities are much more on the ball about alerting people to toxic cyanobacteria, so that people can try to avoid exposure.

 

[Sidny]

I worked with plants indoors for nearly a decade but it wasn’t until I fell severely ill this year and began researching possible causes that I discovered the deadly/immune compromising nature of Cyanobacteria molds biotoxins etc. Algae regularly grew on top of growing mediums in the rooms. Also reservoirs, pumps and hoses formed slime from organic matter and nutrients I regularly maintained. Rooms needed to be kept at a proper vapor pressure deficit for ideal plant growth by keeping humidity high and supplementing with Co2. Never really felt sick all those years though. You live and you learn I suppose.

 

[Hip]

I discovered the deadly/immune compromising nature of Cyanobacteria molds biotoxins etc. Algae regularly grew on top of growing mediums in the rooms.

Most algae is non-toxic, so exposure to algae does not necessarily mean is was problem.

 

[SilverbladeTE]

increased warmth
water more heavily polluted with certain chemicals
and crucially, floating plastic as "anchors" for blooms to grow on
=
this is a massive problem growing for our world

while the health issue of our reservoirs is VERY serious, the larger issue is one of severe danger to our entire world
such blooms will release huge quantities of methane and other gasses, some extremely toxic
this is what folk like myself warned that Global Warming was MUCH more dangerous than idiots thought, because runaway processes reinforcing each other...are not good for our civilization or species

doesn't take that much to screw up an immune system or a similarly extremely complicated global civilization

 

[Chugi]

Somebody knows how erik johnson recovered? Just with avoiding mould?

 

[Sidny]

Most algae is non-toxic, so exposure to algae does not necessarily mean is was problem.

I hope it wasn’t the toxic type. It even began growing on the reverse osmosis filter chambers exposed to light so I bought sleeves to block the light for the sake of better water quality. I guess the only way to know for certain would be to test it.

 

[Wally]

Somebody knows how erik johnson recovered? Just with avoiding mould?

@Chugi - You might want to review the Paradigm Change website developed by Lisa Petrison and Erik Johnson. http://paradigmchange.me/survived/

If you select the button at the top of the website titled “Stories“ and select “Survived” from the drop down menu and then scroll through the stories, you will come to Erk’s story, which I believe is the tenth story listed under this topic. There are also two books 1) “Mold Warriors and Surviving Mold” and “Back From The Edge” which go into detail about Erik’s experience becoming ill in the Lake Tahoe area. Both the website and the books detail what he learned about how the illness effected him and what he has found helped him recover and put his illness in remission. (I use the word “remission” because I believe that Erik still needs to avoid areas with significant mold or he can begin to relapse. But I have not communicated with Erik in a couple of years, so I don’t know if his health or treatment ideas have changed.)

 

[Gingergrrl]

I hope it wasn’t the toxic type. It even began growing on the reverse osmosis filter chambers exposed to light so I bought sleeves to block the light for the sake of better water quality. I guess the only way to know for certain would be to test it.

@Sidny Is it possible to get it tested and find out if it was the toxic type of algae?

(I use the word “remission” because I believe that Erik still needs to avoid areas with significant mold or he can begin to relapse. But I have not communicated with Erik in a couple of years, so I don’t know if his health or treatment ideas have changed.)

I also use the word "remission" re: myself at this point (re: mold) and I will have to avoid mold for the rest of my life as well. Of course that is not possible but I can at least make sure that I never live somewhere with toxic mold again.

 

[Sidny]

@Sidny Is it possible to get it tested and find out if it was the toxic type of algae?

@Gingergrrl Probably not as the operation has been mostly dismanteld partly due to my newfound understanding of the probable risk of the work and largely due my physical/mental inability to excecute tasks any longer

 

[Gingergrrl]

@Gingergrrl Probably not as the operation has been mostly dismanteld partly due to my newfound understanding of the probable risk of the work and largely due my physical/mental inability to excecute tasks any longer

That's a bummer and I was hoping there might be a way you could find out what kind of algae (or mold or other chemicals?) you were dealing with.