Toxic beaches

[oldcamper]

What's with all the toxic beaches?  How am I gonna get my clams

What are they toxic from, and who put the toxic material in the water?

What are they doing about it? 

http://ww4.doh.wa.gov/scripts/esrimap.dll?name=bioview&Cmd=Map&Step=1

[DoubleJ]

Is it just me or is DOH site down?

[oldcamper]

I clicked on the link and opened in a new tab and it opened right up. 

[DoubleJ]

And nobody put toxins in the water and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

[DoubleJ]

I had to go to the text version.  Map wouldn't open for me

http://www4.doh.wa.gov/gis/mogifs/biotoxin.htm

[oldcamper]

I am seeing that Biotoxins are different than the pollution problem, It stands out more on the map about the pollution problem.


Pierce County:

32 Public Beaches

14 CLOSED BY MARINE BIOTOXIN ONLY

6 CLOSED DUE TO POLLUTION ONLY

1 CLOSED DUE TO POLLUTION AND MARINE BIOTOXIN

11 HAVE NO HEALTH CLOSURES

[lokidog]

The marine biotoxins are basically red tide, a dinoflagellate that has a paralyzing toxin in it.  When the clams/oysters/mussels eat them, they accumulate the toxins in their tissues that are eaten and pass them to the eater.  These blooms may be increased by high levels of fertilizer type runoff reaching the water.

The pollutants are usually not industrial type pollutants but E. Coli and other bacteria from leaky shoreline septic systems, and often too many geese that hang out in the parks and along the beaches.

Hope this helps.

[oldcamper]

Yes it does thank you. Sounds like a good excuse to have geese hunting from boats along the shore. 

[JimmyHoffa]

And nobody put toxins in the water and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

There are a few that were polluted by industry, but they are localized.  Most of the widespread stuff seems to be biological.  There are areas where old smelters, mills and plants discharged toxins back in the old days.  Most are fenced off or have a bunch of signs.  The ones I've heard of are on Hood Canal or on the east side of Kitsap.  The eventually plan to clean them up by hauling off the dirt and bringing in clean dirt when they get the money.

[smdave]

Warm weather almost always brings out the toxic algea. I have family that live on the beach in Skagit and this happens every year.

[magnanimous_j]

The marine biotoxins are basically red tide, a dinoflagellate that has a paralyzing toxin in it.  When the clams/oysters/mussels eat them, they accumulate the toxins in their tissues that are eaten and pass them to the eater.  These blooms may be increased by high levels of fertilizer type runoff reaching the water.

The pollutants are usually not industrial type pollutants but E. Coli and other bacteria from leaky shoreline septic systems, and often too many geese that hang out in the parks and along the beaches.

Hope this helps.