UToledo Faculty Advance Ohio’s Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative

UToledo Faculty Advance Ohio's Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative

University of Toledo researchers remain at the forefront of statewide efforts to seek solutions for harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, leading or co-leading more than one-third of the two-year projects completed under the Ohio Department of Higher Education's Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative in 2024.

Ohio Sea Grant detailed findings from each project completed under the initiative in 2024, as well as updates on in-progress projects that address critical needs and knowledge gaps identified by state agencies at the front lines of water quality crises, in an annual report released on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

"Toledo knows firsthand how important it is to understand and appropriately respond to the threat of harmful algal blooms," said Dr. Constance Schall, interim vice president for research at UToledo. "Our researchers committed themselves to the protection of water quality and the health of Lake Erie during the drinking water crisis that affected more than a half-million residents in and around Toledo in August, 2014. More than a decade later, UToledo is proud to remain a leader in ongoing efforts to advance our understanding of the ecology of harmful algal blooms, the health effects of the toxins that these blooms release and the land- and water-management strategies that work most effectively against them."

Six UToledo professors concluded seven research projects under HABRI in 2024:

• Dr. Dragan Isailovic, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, led researchers in refining an analytical technique to quickly and accurately identify algal toxins and in demonstrating the potential of carbonized corncobs as an effective alternative to the activated carbon often used in drinking water treatment facilities.

• Dr. Youngwoo Seo, a professor in the Departments of Chemical and Civil and Environmental Engineering, led researchers in optimizing the chemical treatment for a water treatment process known as dissolved air flotation using laboratory tests and a full-scale study at a drinking water treatment facility in Celina, Ohio.

• Dr. Steven Haller and Dr. David Kennedy, associate professors in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, led researchers in documenting an inflammatory response in lungs that are exposed to an aerosolized algal toxin and in documenting negative effects on both skin and internal organs when skin affected by common conditions such as dermatitis, skin infection, skin allergies and skin cancer is exposed to the same toxin.

• Dr. Kennedy Doro, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, led researchers in developing innovative geophysical methods to quantify how water moves through wetlands in field work at Oakwoods Nature Preserve in Findlay, Ohio.

• Dr. Asmita Murumkar and Dr. Jay Martin of the Ohio State University, and Dr. Kevin Czajkowski, a Distinguished University Professor in the UToledo Department of Geography and Planning, co-led researchers in assessing the effectiveness of conservation efforts to improve water quality in the Maumee River watershed.

Czajkowski and Kennedy are leading two projects under HABRI that are set to conclude in 2025, and Doro, Czajkowski, Haller and Kennedy are leading five projects under HABRI that are set to conclude in 2026.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) launched the HABRI in 2015, in the aftermath of the drinking water crisis in Toledo, to provide near-term solutions for the full suite of issues surrounding harmful algal blooms.

ODHE has to date allocated $24.5 million to HABRI. Matching funds from 15 participating universities across the state bring the total investment to more than $37 million.

"In the nearly 10 years since we began funding this program, the collaboration of our campuses and state agencies, coupled with Governor DeWine's leadership through the H2Ohio program, have made great strides in addressing water quality issues," said ODHE Chancellor Mike Duffey. "I know this work will continue to improve the quality of life in our state and I'm proud of the role our universities play in this effort."

HABRI is co-led by UToledo and Ohio State University and managed by Ohio Sea Grant.

To view the most recent annual report, go to the Ohio Sea Grant website.

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