Algal Mass Found In Bays Now Growing To Cover All Of Lake Victoria - Toxins Can Cause Liver Failure

[hatrack]

THE stinking algae mass which has been covering the bays at Ggaba, Munyonyo, Nakivubo and Luzira, has spread to the entire lake, which is a source of drinking water for Kampala and Kalangala islands, a Government official said. “The algae is spreading on the lake. Residents of Kalangala have been advised not to collect water from the lake for drinking,” said Jennifer Namuyangu, the State Minister for Water.

Namuyangu, who returned from a tour on Lake Victoria, warned that untreated drinking water could lead to waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea. “Pollution of the lake is becoming a serious problem. I have ordered Kalangala district to install piped water to replace the boreholes and water wells.”

The algae mass, which looks like a green paint on the lake’s surface, is a result of increased pollution from human disposal and industrial waste. The main reason for the spread of algae on the surface is the presence of increased nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrogen, substances that algae feed on. The minister’s warning comes in the wake of a report by Chemiphar, a Belgium-based laboratory with a branch in Kampala, which tested the algae and found it to be poisonous.

“From the preliminary results, Cyanobacteria like Anabaena were found in the water samples,” the report said. “These can be very toxic for plants and animals, including humans, because of the toxin microcystin. To be clearer, the toxins from Cyanobacteria can be as harmful as the poison of a cobra snake.” The toxins may cause serious damage to the liver, the report, signed by Belgian chemist Dr. Jan Cordonnier, warned.

“They can accumulate in the fish tissues, liver, intestines and gallbladder, which means that secondary contamination by eating toxic fish from an infected pond or lake is possible.” Three types of toxins are produced by the algae, according to Cordonnier. One type can affect the liver and cause slow death, up to 36 hours after drinking contaminated water. "Animals can get jaundice (yellowness of the eyes) and an increased sensitivity to light.” Another type can affect the respiratory and nervous system. "These types of toxins can cause vibration of the muscles, convulsions, dizziness, paralysis, respiratory problems and after 30 minutes death.”

EDIT

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/624972

EDIT

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/624972

[TexasBushwhacker]

1. Well, on the bright side ....

The introduction of the Nile Perch to Lake Victoria has been nothing short of devastating. It would require a lot of humanitarian aid to Tanzania, because the export of this fish to Europe brings in a lot of money, but ultimately it would be better if they let Lake Victoria return to its natural state, with its native species. Watch the documentary Darwin's Nightmare:

"The larger scope of the story explores the gun trade to Africa that takes place under the covers -- Russian pilots fly guns into Africa, then fly fish back out to Europe. The hazards and consequences of this trade are explored, including the pan-African violence propagated by constant flow of weapons into the continent. If it is a "survival of the fittest" world, as Darwin concluded, then the capitalist interests that fund the gun runners are climbing the evolutionary ladder on the backs of the Africans in this stark Darwinian example. Much like the foreseeable extinction of the Lake Victoria perch, and death of Lake Victoria itself, the Africans are in grave jeopardy, even as they survive in the only ways they know how. Written by Erin Willis {[e-mail]}

In the 1950s or 1960s, the Nile perch was released into the Lake Victoria. In just a few decades, the large, voracious predator has all but eliminated the other species of fish, turning the lake into an ecological wasteland. "But economically, it's good" -- and indeed, perch fillet is Tanzania's best selling export to Europe. Fishermen, factory workers, civil servants, pilots of cargo aircrafts, delegates of the European Commission, communities living around Lake Victoria: plenty of people are involved in some way in this new industry. But if Africa exports hundreds of tons of premium-priced fish each day, what exactly do Africans get in return? Written by Eduardo Casais {[e-mail]}"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424024/