Ok back in the 1990's the City of Norwich built a southern bypass to alleviate traffic to Great Yarmouth coming through the city from the west on the A47
It was built using a lot of soil from Whitlingham area a couple of miles outside the city
Of course in time it left a huge hole which was filled with water from the local river ALL WELL AND GOOD
It meant local people from the nearby Lakenham council estate had their own Lido on their doorstep
I made good use of the Broad towards the end of the 90s
It was really a lovely spot to go and swim sunbathe and read
And then by 98 I realized by the end of the summer i was feeling ill in the night after long swims. At first i thought it was sun-related; but then even on dull days it would happen
Toxic Blue-Green algae started to be mentioned
The symptoms are as follows
Do not laugh but i get (to this day) a mixture of both
Lethargy ; burning hands; agitation; despondency; Low-key nausea and loose bowels are always present
for hippies and sensitives
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For the ones of you who understand/accept this kind of talk
i also gestalt with the Algae/Illness and it tells me that it is there unwillingly brought on through excessive use of fertilizer (nitrates mostly) in the Norfolk area
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For a long time i debated whether it was a biological or chemical
and the answer is both; it is biological but brought due to chemical violation of the Earth ; Pachamama is not impressed and neither are we
The crazy thing is that the place is still used as a water recreation area ; although these days only for sailing and windsurfing; watersports
Swimming is now forbidden there; the reason given deep water.
I would rather fancy that the true reason is the presence of the algae
In effect the place is now useless to man or beast due to overuse of nitrates in the Norfolk soil
So to summarize what should be a heavenly summer spot has become a bio-chemical soup unfit for all of us
Nitrates are the trigger here
The symptoms are really strong in sensitives
I would always feel listless; like mildly sun-stroked in the evening and would wake up in the night anxious with burning palms a feverish sensation and a sense of mild poisoning
AFTER 99 I stopped swimming and only went to sit there; but then i realized the sickness was carried in the air too in the close surroundings
The reason I am writing this blog is that i went there last Friday for the first time in four years to see what if anything had changed
Well swimming is prohibited now.
I sat there for under half an hour. Thought no more about it.
And then in the night all the symptoms came
It is now Sunday night and i still feel a little below par
I know that few people react to substance the way that do but still I want to share this
Nitrates have done this. Nitrates killing the soil and poisoning the earth and the rivers
Heavy infestations (blooms) of blue-greens arestimulated by inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen. Runoff of fertilizers, organic wastes, and other sources of N and P into surface waters should always be reduced or eliminated
Would love to see the whole area cleaned up and back as a great swimming spot; but the algae gets stronger every year; I have no idea how many years would be needed to reverse the poisoning of the land probably 50 or more ( i am guessing)
PLEASE SHARE THIS WIDELY Shan ps i feel better for having put this in words
I see it as violation
RELATED LINKS:
in depth scientific info on Blue-green algae
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Potential Effects on Humans and Animals
Can blue-green algae make me sick?
Yes, it is possible for blue-green algae to cause illness. Blue-green algae are capable of producing several different toxins. People may be exposed to these toxins through contact with the skin (e.g., when swimming), through inhalation (e.g., when motor boating or water skiing), or by swallowing contaminated water. Types of toxins and potential health effects include the following:
Dermatotoxins and Gastrointestinal Toxins—These toxins affect the skin and mucous membranes, and can cause allergy-type reactions such as rashes, eye/nose/throat irritation, and asthma, as well as headaches, fever, and gastroenteritis (nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea). Examples include lyngbyatoxin and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins.
Hepatotoxins—These toxins affect the liver and other internal organs, and can cause gastroenteritis, tissue damage, muscle weakness, paralysis, and respiratory failure (with acute exposure), tumors, and possibly liver cancer (with long-term, chronic exposure). Examples include microcystins and nodularins.
Cytotoxins—These toxins also affect the liver and other organs (though through a different mode of action than hepatotoxins) and can cause malaise, headache, anorexia, vomiting, chromosome loss, DNA strand breakage, and damage to organs. An example is cylindrospermopsin.
Neurotoxins—These toxins affect the central nervous system and can cause seizures, paralysis, respiratory failure or cardiac arrest. Examples include anatoxin-a and saxitoxin. (Saxitoxin is the same toxin associated with red tide and paralytic shellfish poisoning in marine systems).
Are children more vulnerable than adults?
Yes. Children may be at greater risk than adults for two primary reasons:
- Children love to play in the water, but typically do not understand the health risks as well as adults. As a result, they may drink the water because they are thirsty or swallow it accidentally while swimming.
- Children weigh less, and so a smaller quantity of toxin may trigger an adverse effect.
Can blue-green algae make my pet sick?
Animals are not necessarily more sensitive to blue-green algal toxins than humans. However, many animals, such as dogs and cattle, enjoy being in the water, even if there is an unsightly green scum layer floating on top. When such a bloom is present, animals may consume large quantities of blue-green algae if they drink the water, and if those blue-green algae happen to be producing toxin(s), the animals can become very ill, and even die. Symptoms of blue-green algal toxin poisoning may range from lethargy and loss of appetite to seizures, vomiting, and convulsions. Dogs are particularly susceptible to blue-green algal poisoning because scums can attach to their coats and be swallowed during self-cleaning.
Should I let my pets or livestock drink or swim in water containing algal blooms?
No. Animals can become extremely ill, and even die, after swallowing water containing blue-green algae. As public awareness has increased, so has the number of reports from veterinarians that blue-green algal toxins may have played a role in the deaths of dogs where other causes were not obvious. It is possible that the number of dogs that die from exposure to blue-green algae is an underreported statistic.
