FGCU Water School studying toxicity of airborne blue-green algae

Blue-green algae is a toxic issue no one wants to see in Southwest Florida waters.

Now, FGCU is receiving thousands to help study the airborne toxins released by the algae.

Its toxins pose a risk to sea life and to people around it.

The school spent $83,000 to buy a machine to study the toxicity of the blue-green algae.

FGCU Water School professor Barry Rosen and research assistant Trinity Allan want to know how these toxins travel and get into our bodies.

“We have designed a chamber and we use that where we put cyanobacteria in the chamber, we blow air into the chamber,” Rosen said. “We’ve been using three different speeds to simulate real air. And then on the other side of the chamber, we’re sipping that air and looking for aerosolization. In other words, particles that might be coming off that water.”