For swimming water in lakes, apart from physical-chemical and microbiological parameters, transparency is an important issue. It is an auxiliary measurement for the detection of algae blooms. Beside the fact that algae blooms are a hint for an euthrophication of the lake, a certain group of the so called "blue-green algae" or cyanobacteria can also be directly harmful to humans and animals. Swimming in water with high concentrations of blue-green algae can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, fevers and eye or ear irritations. Some of the blue-green algae can also produce toxins which by ingestion can be hazardous for animal and human health.

Consequently if the analysis of swimming water from lakes by microscope shows the dominance of blue-green-algae, dependent on the concentration of Chlorophyll-a the Federal Environmental Agency recommends graded actions form warning of the guests up to the closure of the lake for swimming.

The microscopic analysis of algae takes time and needs expert knowledge. Beside this classical method of determination MESOCOSM GmbH can analyse the composition of the algae community immediately by modern techniques (DF-spectroscopy). The sample can be examined for chlorophyll a content and proportions of the different algae classes thus providing good data for risk assessment.

Swimming water analysis is a more regional service nevertheless for detailed information feel free to contact us.