Like her work in the Albemarle Sound, Plaas is also monitoring air and water quality in the San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary to see if harmful algal blooms contribute to air pollution, and if toxins in the water can go airborne. Her experiments in the lab at UNC explore how gasses emitted from blue-green algae might condense in the atmosphere as a liquid and then travel as aerosol.
The PurpleAir project examines air and water quality in the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system, with a focus on the Chowan River. Not only does this region experience more blooms than other areas of the state, it also has a high prevalence of asthma among the population. Additionally, the size of the estuarine system — the second largest in the country — means that high wind and wave action can contribute to toxins moving easily through the river and its tributaries.
Karl, a former high school teacher and science outreach coordinator for NC State University, is passionate about introducing others to world of environmental research. Today, she brings that same energy to her work with the CEEG.
“One goal of the CEEG is to increase understanding of changes we experience in our local ecosystems. […] We all want the best environmental planning for the communities we call home,” she says.
Plaas chats with CEEG member Cathy Woody while downloading sensor data at her house. The team plans to deploy up to 30 sensors along the Chowan River. This project is being conducted for two years, but the sensors last far longer— providing valuable public data even after the study wraps.
Sending data to the PurpleAir website every 10 minutes, the sensors measure the number of particles in the air, as well as humidity and temperature.
“We don’t have any information about aerosol composition from these sensors, we just know the amount that’s there,” Plaas explains. “But, since we’re looking over a big area and over a seasonal trend we’ll be able to see a cause-and-effect. If we see a bloom, then in the following days are we seeing increases in aerosol particles?”
Members of CEEG analyze water samples to be sent to National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science phytoplankton monitoring network. The group partners with a myriad of research organizations including the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, NC Sea Grant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offices in North and South Carolina, NC State University, the State Climate Office of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
“If we can work with another agency, there’s a lot of mileage we can get out of that. It might come in the form of grant writing or a community event. It might come in the form of a partnership you never even thought about,” Karl says. “For our area especially — in rural Eastern North Carolina — partnerships like that can be vital.”
While the signs of a large bloom are obvious, smaller concentrations of cyanobacteria are invisible to the naked eye. Because of this, it’s important to not only know the visible warning signs, but also recognize when the conditions are ripe for a bloom. HABs prefer slow moving to stagnant, warm water with plentiful nutrient runoff.
Barbara Putnam is the operations manager at the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City. The museum serves 13 counties, interpreting and telling the history of the region. When Putnam was approached about hosting a sensor, she saw a connection between the air quality project and the mission of the museum.
“What better way to preserve history, even if it’s an environmental recording and not the recording of an artifact?” she asks. “You’re taking data from the environment and then creating a history of that.”
Chip Wynns grew up on the Chowan River. His family owned a fish company from the 1950’s until it was destroyed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. He and his wife, Reba Wynns, have lived on the property since 2015.
The Wynns’ love for the river made it an easy decision to host an air sensor. While they’ve seen water quality issues since living there, it’s much better than years past.
“The 1980s was horrible,” Chip says. “I remember it looked like fried eggs floating on the water. You could take a stick and pick it up it was so thick — slime, clumps, green, just nasty. There was a lot of debate about why. I think industries took a lot of the hit for that.”
Lois Thompson says air quality is a concern for not only her health, but also her 9-year-old grandson’s. That concern fueled her decision to host an air sensor at her home in Edenton.
“You walk outside and sometimes you say, ‘Oh gosh, I’ve got a headache and I’ve just walked outside,’ and you don’t know what caused that headache. You don’t know if it’s something in your house or if you walked outside and there’s something in the air that you picked up,” she says. “You just want to know how the air is and what’s really going on around you.”
Albemarle Regional Health Services partners with researchers on a number of issues, including HABs. Besides the PurpleAir project, the public health facility is working with researchers at Duke University investigating the links between cyanobacteria and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Participating in research is a crucial part of serving the Albemarle community, says health director Ashely Stoop.
“You cannot be solely academic-driven and you cannot be solely practice-driven,” she says. “You’ve got to look at the data, and that academic component really helps us figure that data side out.”
Stephen Hammer has spent thousands of hours fishing in North Carolina — usually in preparation for bass tournaments. With that much time on the water, Hammer and his peers can share updates to researchers and environmental groups.
“We’re looking at water quality all the time,” he says. “What color is the water? Is it moving? Is it coming in, is it going out? […] If you’ve got algae, you better move ‘cause you ‘aint gonna catch no damn fish,” he says.
Fish and shellfish can absorb toxins into their bodies, but little is known about the human health risks associated with consuming affected meat. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends trimming the skin, fat, and internal organs — areas where toxins are most likely to accumulate — before cooking fish and to avoid eating the “mustard” of crab. The World Health Organization advises moderation in eating fish exposed to blue-green algae.
Due to wind and wave action, HABs can move quickly through an ecosystem. An area can be healthy one instant and then contaminated in just a few hours. Cyanobacteria are the most common type of harmful algal bloom found in freshwater, although it can occur in brackish or saltwater as well. Historically an issue in hot climates, harmful algal blooms are now found across the globe and in all 50 states.
Plaas says engaging community scientists is not only practical — they host sensors, collect water samples, and notify authorities when blooms arise — but it’s also ethical.
“I see the intention of science to be seeking knowledge to improve and better our societies,” she says. “I think the only way that you can really know if you are doing research that’s going to improve a community is if you’re getting constant feedback from them the whole time.”