Scientists make algae-busting buoys that could stop Lake Erie blooms before they fully form

Ohio researchers have devised a new way to head off harmful algal blooms, an issue that gained urgency after Toledo's 2014 water crisis left hundreds of thousands of residents without safe drinking water.

Their approach calls for floating buoys that dispense algae-killing chemicals gradually, with the aim of treating the water before a bloom expands unchecked.

What's happening?

According to The Allegheny Front, researchers at the University of Toledo have created "algae-busting" buoys meant to limit harmful blooms in waters such as Lake Erie before they become firmly established.

Yakov Lapitsky, a professor and chair of the University of Toledo's Department of Chemical Engineering, said the technology is meant to be deployed early in bloom season.

"The idea of these buoys is that they can be set up early in the bloom season before the bloom really develops," he said.

Each buoy uses a soft gel layer to meter algaecide into the surrounding water over time. By allowing the treatment to spread outward while preventing water from entering, the design is intended to make dosing more consistent and less labor-intensive than repeated manual applications.

Lapitsky said that could give the system an advantage over current methods.

"So instead of having applicators come out and apply algaecide as frequently as once, twice a week, you can set up that buoy and then leave it for a month or two before having to worry about reloading the buoys with algaecide and applying further treatment," he explained.

Why does it matter?

Harmful algal blooms can threaten drinking water, public health, outdoor recreation, and local tourism.

In 2014, blooms fueled by excess phosphorus contaminated Toledo's water supply, leaving families scrambling for bottled water as utilities faced added pressure to treat the water and communities absorbed the economic fallout.

Cyanobacterial blooms have become a recurring seasonal problem in waterways across the country, especially in places where fertilizer runoff and warmer conditions help them thrive.

A system that operates over weeks rather than days may offer water managers a more practical and potentially lower-cost option, while helping protect fish and wildlife, keeping lakes and reservoirs safer for boating and swimming, and reducing the risk of costly emergency responses.

What's being done?

The buoy project is part of a broader effort to address harmful blooms at multiple stages. Since the Toledo crisis, the state has backed wetland restoration and efforts to cut fertilizer runoff from farms. A nonprofit is also installing tanks aimed at keeping phosphorus out of waterways.

The technology is still in the testing phase: Lapitsky's team has evaluated it in the lab with Lake Erie water and in a pond, and it is not yet ready for commercial use. Researchers still need to fine-tune the rate at which the algaecide is released.

"One concern that we have is getting the dose just right," Lapitsky said. "We need to make sure that we're releasing the algaecide at the best rates in a way that would minimize any side effects to non-target organisms."

The team also wants to better understand whether continuous exposure could make cyanobacteria more resistant over time.

If further studies are successful, the technology could eventually be used in settings ranging from backyard ponds and drinking water storage reservoirs to fountains and even home aquariums.

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