50 Years Of Drinking Water Research
By U.S. EPA
A harmful algal bloom
For nearly 50 years, EPA scientists have done research to support drinking water standards and protect America’s drinking water. However, drinking water systems are increasingly facing new challenges, such as emerging contaminants in source waters that can adversely impact health, including algal toxins from harmful algal blooms (HABs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Harmful algal blooms are a major environmental problem in all 50 states. Some, but not all, types of HABs are overgrowths of toxin-producing algae in fresh or marine waters that can adversely affect human and animal health and local economies. Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) are a type of bacteria that exhibit characteristics of algae and can form these HABs. They often develop due to a combination of factors, such as excess nutrients, water temperature, and light availability.