New Hampshire

Fact-check: Sununu claims cyanobacteria are ‘not toxic’ • New Hampshire Bulletin

Published

4 months ago

September 6, 2024

Fact-check: Sununu claims cyanobacteria are ‘not toxic’ • New Hampshire Bulletin

While bloom notices piled up ahead of Labor Day weekend, Gov. Chris Sununu claimed at an Executive Council meeting held in Wakefield last week that cyanobacteria are “not toxic.” But scientists have found that cyanobacteria, especially blooms, frequently produce toxins.

“This is not toxic. This does not kill people,” Sununu said to Robert Scott, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Services. “Right? That’s not what this issue is. I think some dogs, I think they’ve been warned that … dogs shouldn’t eat it or something like that if they’re in the water.”

“Please make sure that people understand this is not some deadly bacterial bloom that should shut down beaches or anything like that,” Sununu told the commissioner. He said cyanobacteria was “a yucky, slimy thing” but that the department’s messaging on the issue was “terrible.”

On Sununu’s claim that cyanobacteria aren’t toxic: “That’s wrong,” said Jessica Volan Trout-Haney, an aquatic ecologist at Dartmouth who studies cyanotoxins. “… There are, you know, occasionally species that don’t produce toxins, but almost every time we measure for cyanotoxins in bloom conditions, they are present. So if there are cyanobacteria there, they’re almost always producing toxins. It’s very consistent.”

Cyanotoxins, of which there are different kinds, can cause rashes, fevers, headaches, mouth blisters, vomiting, acute liver damage, and more, according to DES, and “long-term exposure can harm the liver and central nervous system.” They can also kill pets.

Trout-Haney said that “almost every strain or species of cyanobacteria produces cyanotoxins.” The level of those toxins varies, she said, and cyanobacteria produce more toxins when blooming. These toxins cannot be detected by the eye; there must be testing to know if they’re present.

On its Healthy Swimming Mapper, where it tracks cyanobacteria blooms and fecal bacteria, DES “advises lake users to avoid contact with the water in the vicinity of areas experiencing blooms” and keep pets and livestock out of the water. Sununu’s frustration with DES was voiced in a conversation about a bloom on Lake Winnipesaukee, as first reported by InDepthNH.org.

“When the state is putting out these alerts, that is because there’s bloom conditions; it’s above a certain threshold that’s deemed safe,” Trout-Haney said. “And that’s based on the studies that we’ve conducted that look at cyanotoxin production with growth. So when there’s a bloom, that means there’s a lot of growth, and that means there’s more toxins, and they’re also generally producing more than one type of toxin.”

While cyanobacteria play an important role in ecosystems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “excessive growth of cyanobacteria can lead to ‘blooms’ that can cause ecological and human health concerns.”

“Some cyanobacteria are able to produce highly potent toxins, known as cyanotoxins, that can lead to a variety of health problems for both human and aquatic species,” the agency said, pointing to examples such as “abdominal, neurological, and skin issues.”

There is still much to learn about the impact of cyanobacteria on human health, said Kathryn L. Cottingham, a Dartmouth professor and researcher.

What we do know, she said: “We know that some cyanobacteria produce toxins, that some of those toxins accumulate in our livers and cause cancers, that some of those toxins are neurotoxins that can impact our brains, and that it’s really hard to know just looking at something what’s happening with the toxins.”

How to stay safe

Some activities pose more risks than others. Direct contact with the bloom and ingesting that water, such as through swimming, are the main things to avoid, Trout-Haney said.

“I take the precautionary principle,” Cottingham said. “If I see a bloom, I want to stay out of it. I want to keep my dog out of it.”

“Every year, there are pets that do die from ingesting cyanobacteria toxins,” Trout-Haney said. Pets can drink the water while swimming in a bloom or lick harmful toxins off of themselves when they come out of the water, she said.

People with compromised immune systems, children, and older people are more at risk, she said.

Shallow areas of the water tend to be less safe, Trout-Haney said, because it’s warmer and there’s less mixing. Cyanobacteria thrive in warm, sunny, nutrient-rich environments. Often, there are blooms on the shore of the lake, but the middle of the water body is clear, she said.

“If you’re driving your boat through a bloom, that’s probably fine,” Trout-Haney said, but “it’s probably wise to minimize your time right in that bloom area, and go to an area that is less bloom heavy.”

As for other activities, “if you are spending a lot of time right next to a bloom, there’s a possibility that you’re inhaling cells. We measure cells coming out of the water and into the air pretty regularly,” she said. “But how much of an impact that actually has on your long term health? You know, that’s where … there’s a lot still unknown.”

And for anglers, “the safest thing to do is if you’re in a big bloom area … (is) move outside of that area to collect fish that you’re going to consume,” Trout-Haney said.

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Related Topics:climate change cyanobacteria Department of Environmental Services environment Featured Gov. Chris Sununu health safety

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New Hampshire

Papaspyropoulos’ two goals net New Jersey Titans victory over New Hampshire Mountain Kings – The Rink Live

Published

56 minutes ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

The New Jersey Titans beat the visiting New Hampshire Mountain Kings at Middletown Ice World Arena on Friday, Dec. 19, 2024, ending 4-3.

New Jersey’s Logan Renkowski scored the game-winning goal.

The visiting Mountain Kings opened strong, early in the game with Kim Hilmersson scoring 50 seconds, goal assisted by

Damon Bossie

and

Oli Genest

The Titans tied the game 1-1 in the first period when

James Schneid

scored, assisted by

Jack Hillier

and Lucas Marshall.

The Mountain Kings’

Cole Roenick

took the lead late in the first period, assisted by Tanner Anctil and Charlie Vincent.

The Titans tied it up 2-2 with a goal from

Alex Papaspyropoulos

late in the first, assisted by

Kyle Kim

and Jack Hillier.

The Titans scored two goals in second period an held the lead 4-3 going in to the second break.

Next games:

The teams play again on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 at 6 p.m. CST at Middletown Ice World Arena.

New Hampshire

In Bethlehem, NH, a hybrid Christmas tree stands up to the trials of climate change

Published

9 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

In Bethlehem, NH, a hybrid Christmas tree stands up to the trials of climate change

Eleven days before Christmas, an outdoor firepit crackles next to the gift shop at South Farm in Bethlehem. A speaker plays carols as cars roll into the small parking lot.

Nigel Manley, bundled up in wool pants and a red and green hat with a festive pom pom, runs the show. He’s a big deal in the Christmas tree world: he’s on the board of the national Christmas tree association, and a leader in several industry groups in New England.

He fell into the job while working at The Rocks. He was working for a cattle farmer, helping with a variety of jobs. But then, the farm started growing Christmas trees.

“Basically I could either do a Christmas tree farm or not have a job. So Christmas tree farming seemed to be like a good idea.”

He loved it enough to start his own farm in 2014. Nowadays, he says he sings “Jingle Bells” all year round.

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Christmas trees grow at South Farm in Bethlehem.

Mara Hoplamazian / NHPR

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Manley sells about three quarters of his trees wholesale. The other quarter are available for people to cut themselves.

Mara Hoplamazian / NHPR

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Liliana and Gene Farr, right, chose a Korean fir tree for their Christmas tree this year.

Mara Hoplamazian / NHPR

Manley plants about 900 trees a year. And he likes to experiment with new species, branching out from the Frasers and Balsams that have dominated the Christmas market for years.

Several years ago, he happened upon the Korean fir. They have a silvery-blue sheen, because their needles twist as they grow, showing their undersides. And they smell citrusy, like oranges.

Manley says they’re also tough to prune; they don’t always grow straight up. So in 2021, he started planting a hybrid version pollinated with Balsam pollen.

“They’ve got the beautiful color. They’re growing well,” he said. “They’re easier to prune by far.”

Now, those hybrids are a third of the trees he’s planting each season. They grow fast. People like how they look and smell. And they’ve also had an unexpected benefit. They’re more resilient to the kinds of changes he’s seeing on his land, as warmer temperatures and wet summers cause trouble.

“We’re losing more Fraser firs because of the wetness, phytophthora root rot in particular,” he said.

While Manley didn’t set out to find a Christmas tree that could thrive better in changing conditions, the hybrid firs just might fit the bill.

“It seems like in wetter conditions they’ll put up with more water. And just based on how they’re growing and knowing it has got warmer, I say they do really well in it,” he said.

Korean fir trees have had a difficult time in South Korea recently, where they make up a forest on Hallasan Mountain on Jeju Island. There, National Geographic reports they’re threatened by heat, erosion and increasing extreme storms.

Manley’s own Christmas tree, a Korean fir, is decorated with ornaments collected over the years.

In New Hampshire, though, the business for hybrid Korean/Balsam fir trees is thriving.

Jay Weir, who owns Weir Tree Farms in Colebrook, says he’s ramped up production of seedlings, which he sells to growers across the country, including Manley.

“A lot of people really like the way these trees are performing,” he said. “They’ll grow in just about any type of soil, very resistant to root rots and pests.”

They don’t seem to be as affected by drought or wet weather as other firs, he said. And though there are a limited number of people selling seeds, he thinks they’ll become a bigger part of the industry moving forward.

Most of Manley’s trees are sold wholesale, and this year that included the hybrids. The rest stay at the farm for people to cut down themselves.

Gene and Liliana Farr picked out one of the first Korean fir trees Manley planted. They liked the citrus smell and the silvery color. It was their first time cutting their own tree, and they said they were excited to decorate it with birds and other animal ornaments.

The tree is beautiful. So beautiful, Manley actually chose the same one to put it in his own house. But he didn’t cut it down fast enough; the Farrs beat him to it.

“It was just the way that it was formed, I liked it. Because of the challenge with trying to prune these, to me it’s like it takes something into the house that’s taken a lot of effort,” he said.

An effort now for his customers to appreciate as they unwrap presents, under brightly shining Christmas lights and lovely branches.

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New Hampshire

NH weather: Seacoast is expected to get some snow today. Here’s how much

Published

17 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

NH weather: Seacoast is expected to get some snow today. Here’s how much

After a week of warmer than average temperatures, New England is heading into the weekend before Christmas with snow showers.

The snow will return the biting wind chills and freezing temperatures typical of a New England December back to the region, including New Hampshire and Maine.

In New Hampshire, today’s snow will mostly impact the Seacoast, with a light coating expected across the state. Here’s what to know about the timing, location and effects of today’s snowfall in New Hampshire.

Where in NH will it snow today?

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) of Gray, Maine, light snow showers will fall this evening into tonight across Maine and New Hampshire. The weather system is classified as a weak clipper, meaning it will bring strong winds and cold temperatures, but little precipitation.

Most areas of New Hampshire and Maine will see a light coating, with up to an inch of snow possible along the Seacoast of southeastern New Hampshire and mid-coast Maine. As of right now, the NWS has issued a hazardous weather outlook for south central Maine, southwest Maine and southern New Hampshire.

Driving conditions in NH today

Today’s snowfall will not cause significant accumulation, but the NWS warns that the timing of the storm will affect the evening commute.

NH weather this weekend

While the past week has seen above average temperatures, this weekend will turn much colder. On Saturday and Sunday, the coast will see sub-zero wind chills with temperatures in the low 20s or early 30s during the day and the single digits at night.

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