By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As summer approaches, North Carolina environmental officials on Wednesday warned residents to keep pets and children away from discolored water that could be a dangerous algal bloom.
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The warning said that algae can become toxic and very dangerous for animals and people, according to the Division of Water Resources of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
Algae are naturally occurring in all bodies of water, but increased nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), high temperatures, increased sunlight, and low or no water flow can cause “rapid algal cell growth, leading to algal blooms,” officials said.
“Blooms with excessive growth that could potentially cause negative impacts to people, animals, or the environment are called harmful algal blooms,” the NC DEQ news release said.
It’s impossible to simply look at an algal bloom to determine if it’s dangerous, water quality officials said.
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“N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health routinely encourages the public to avoid contact with large accumulations of algae and to prevent children and pets from swimming or ingesting water in an algal bloom, the warning said.
Detailed reports with a high-quality photo, contact information, and a description can help North Carolina staffers identify priorities for investigation, such as blooms in recreational waterways.
N.C. officials said the following issues should be monitored for pets and children after entering water with algal blooms:
- If your child appears ill, seek medical care immediately.
- If your pet appears to stumble, stagger, or collapse after being in a pond, lake or river, seek veterinary care immediately.
To report an algal bloom, contact the nearest DEQ regional office or submit a report online. To view reported algal bloom events, visit DWR’s Fish Kill & Algal Bloom Dashboard.
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