C2H2 EAGER: Redox-Driven Mobilization and Aerosolization of Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Lake Erie Stressed Soils

About This Grant

This research investigates the novel hypothesis that wind-blown dust (i.e. aerosols), resulting from wetting/drying cycles in coastal soils along shorelines experiencing harmful algal blooms, can contain high concentrations of algal bloom-generated neurotoxins. Inhalation of these aerosols can trigger respiratory and/or cardiovascular responses in people living along the coast, negatively impacting their health. Testing the hypothesis involves a coordinated approach that uses water sampling and analysis for algal bloom toxins, air quality, and aerosol sampling and analysis, as well as the field deployment of high frequency soil redox sensors and real-time monitoring, sample processing, and outreach during bloom events. The study area selected is around Lake Erie and near the city of Toledo, Ohio which gets it drinking water from the Lake. This area has repeatedly been impacted by harmful algal blooms in recent years. The research team is interdisciplinary and includes involvement by an expert in soil geophysics. It also includes medical personnel, one of whom is an expert in lung inflammation and clinical translation and one who is an expert in high-resolution toxin analysis. The work also involves collaboration with the Great Lakes Center which is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and National Institutions of Environmental Health Sciences. Broader impacts of the work include improving understanding of health conditions caused or exacerbated by harmful algal blooms in coastal settings and moving geoscience research results quickly and directly to health practitioners to provide more timely and faster incorporation into improved condition treatment and public health interventions. The research also supports an early career researcher and postdoctoral fellow, increasing the interaction between geoscience and medical/health practitioners. In the Great Lakes region, harmful algal blooms are a seasonal concern due to the release of toxins called microcystins into the water. These toxins can harm human health. Harmful algal blooms are influenced by wetting and drying cycles in the soil and can concentrate microcystins in the soil during drying episodes. Evidence suggests that inhaling airborne aerosols containing algal toxins may be a significant route of exposure and trigger negative respiratory and cardiovascular conditions in coastal populations. This is because toxic algae-related hydrophobic congeners (microcystins) appear to be disproportionately enriched in water-rich aerosols due to their affinity for surfactant-stabilized bubble films. Preliminary data indicate that inhaling aerosols containing these toxins can provoke strong inflammatory responses in lung tissue. Thus, causing serious health implications. This study investigates how environmental changes, such as seiches (the swashing of coastal waters up over coastal lands) and heavy rain influence the release and airborne spread of microcystins in coastal areas. The project uses specialized soil sensors and air samplers to sample impacted coastal soils and waters in areas affected by harmful algal blooms. The analysis of these data are used to determine whether changes in soil characteristics and composition due to wetting and drying increase the likelihood of airborne toxins and people's exposure to them. The findings will provide valuable insights into the development of more effective public health strategies in regions prone to harmful algal blooms. The study addresses a critical gap at the intersection of soil biogeochemistry, atmospheric science, and public health by exploring how soil chemistry may influence airborne toxin risks. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.