Human activity is the primary cause of blue-green algae bloom in lakes in Canada and across the world since 1945, a new study shows.
Researchers have found that blooms of one type of harmful algae, called cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, have increased disproportionately over the past two centuries relative to other species, with the greatest increases since 1945. Cyanobacteria pose a threat to drinking water sources worldwide because they can release toxins.
Looking at lakes in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Malaysia, this international study shows that the effect of nutrients found in fertilizers, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, overwhelm those of global warming since 1800.
Original research paper published in Ecology Letters on February 26, 2015.
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