New research shows that microsystis – a toxin produced by harmful algal blooms – is common in lakes throughout Canada. Data from over 3,000 measurements in nearly 250 water bodies throughout Canada were used to produce the first estimates of the toxins at a continental scale. Every province had microsystis concentrations exceeding safe levels within the last 10 years. The research also shows that lakes with the highest concentration of nutrients were the most at risk, with reservoirs having the highest toxin concentrations.
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Image credit: USGS