Bacteria contaminate parts of Lake Lanao

COTABATO CITY — The agriculture department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said it has discovered bacterial contamination of Lake Lanao and warned the local folk to take precautions.

Keise Usman, chief of the ARMM’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said the excessive presence of Cyanobacteria Nostoc in Lake Lanao has caused an "unusual boom" in planktons containing toxins harmful to both humans and animals.

Usman said Maranaw villagers around Lake Lanao first reported discoloration in some parts of the lake late last month.

A joint examination by Usman’s office and BFAR-Region 10 last week showed that the discoloration of portions of the lake, the country’s biggest, was due to Cyanobacteria.

The plankton boom, according to Usman, is hazardous to human health. Over-exposure to contaminated water can cause skin diseases, impairment of the liver, skin and eye irritations, diarrhea, mental disorientation, paralysis, and convulsive seizures.

Usman said the Lanao del Sur office of ARMM-BFAR was tasked to monitor the situation and enforce measures to cushion the adverse effects of the bacterial contamination on the local folk.