Lake Darling beach under advisory

BRIGHTON - The Lake Darling beach is under an advisory due to a heightened level of mycotoxins in the water.

Dan Kendall, Lake and Beach Monitoring Coordinator with the Iowa DNR, said the water is currently at a level 22 and anything over 20 is to be advised. He said the beach will not be at risk to be shut down unless the level reached 2,000, an extremely rare occurrence in Iowa.

The mycotoxins, he said, live in the water and if they get too strong, can be dangerous. An advisory was issued because those most susceptible to mycotoxins are small children, people with compromised immune systems and animals, especially dogs.

He said although the mycotoxins are toxins, they are not toxic to all mammals, as it depends on the concentration. He likened it to a peanut butter allergy, saying some people can eat peanut butter with no problems and some are allergic. Same with the water; some may be fine and others may be more susceptible to the toxins, thus making a warning necessary.

'Usually it's an abundance of nutrients, sunlight and all that to get it going,” he said of how the mycotoxins level grows.

The organisms, he said, are naturally in the water and with the right conditions, humidity and lots of sunlight, can grow and multiply. He said the only way to lower the level of toxins is if a large rain comes in and breaks up the bacteria, causing it to overflow into the river. Levels in the mid-20s are normal for Iowa, he said, and he rarely sees them grow much higher because Iowa does not have favorable conditions for the bacteria to grow and multiply properly.