A University of Regina biologist says toxic blue-green algae blooms in the Qu’Appelle Valley lakes are showing up earlier and are lasting longer.
Peter Leavitt, a Canada research chair at the U of R, says these lakes are getting much greener than they used to.
“There’s a general effect of season, as you go from cool spring to warm summer, you get more of these toxic bacteria,” said Leavitt. “Separate from that, we’re seeing an effect of global warming. We’re seeing warmer temperatures disproportionately favouring the bacteria, and their toxic production.”
Leavitt mentioned the biotoxin produced by blue-green algae blooms is dangerous to livestock and pets and has been associated with liver dysfunction in people.
