Toxic blue-green algae blooms form off Point Pelee

New satellite images of Lake Erie show what looks like green slime covering the blue water near Point Pelee National Park and Pelee Island.

The latest images by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reveal toxic blue-green algae blooms already forming on Lake Erie's south shore, and the algae is growing its way toward Essex County.

Scientists in Windsor-Essex say the harmful algae bloom season will be among the most severe in recent years and could become the second-most severe behind the record-setting 2011 bloom.

Possible health risks

Algae in Lake Erie shouldn't affect local drinking water, but ingesting it while swimming could pose a health risk, warns Dr. Wajid Ahmed, the acting associate medical officer of health with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Ahmed says children are most at risk of developing liver damage as a result of ingesting water with algae.

Adults and children who swim in lakes affected by the blue-green algae could develop itchy, irritated eyes and skin.

If water is swallowed in small quantities, symptoms could include: headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

While swallowing large quantities of water affected by the blue-green algae could lead to more serious health effects, such as liver damage, according to the health unit.

The Windsor Essex County Health Unit is now testing water for harmful toxins.

A perfect storm

The conditions this summer have provided nearly ideal conditions for algae growth, says Raj Bejankiwar, a physical scientist with the International Joint Commission, Great Lakes regional office.

Heavy rains are causing heavy nutrient runoff into lake basin, feeding blue-green algae.

Phosphorous, common in fertilizer, fuels algae growth and runs off into the waterways during heavy rains.

Bejankiwar says the recent hot and sunny weather has also fuelled the bloom.

Temperatures are expected to be above 30 C for the first three days of the week, providing more fuel to the bloom.