(WSVN) - It’s a tiny, microscopic plant, but it’s packed with toxins that could have a huge impact on our health, and right here in South Florida, the work is underway to see how blue-green algae might be impacting two of our most vital organs. 7’s Kevin Ozebek has tonight’s 7 Investigates.
This unique deep freeze is the UM Miller School of Medicine’s “Brain Bank,” and Dr. David Davis is on a mission to see if some of the human brains stored here contain traces of a specific toxin.
Dr. David Davis, UM Miller School of Medicine: “Toxins can easily gain a foothold into the brain just by smelling.”
The toxin he’s searching for is called BMA.
It’s just one of the toxins produced by common, canal-clogging blue-green algae.
Kevin Ozebek: “We know that this algae is here. Do we need to take precautions if we live on the water and see a bloom?”
Dr. David Davis: “I think so.”
And this is the reason why: for the first time, Dr. Davis examined the olfactory nerves of six Floridians, five of whom lived here in South Florida.
These nerves start in the brain and end in the upper part of the nose.
Dr. Davis found the BMA toxin in all six samples, and in the sample with the most toxins, the nerve tissue wasn’t straight and healthy like this … but jagged and damaged.
Dr. David Davis: “That individual with a lot of toxin, it was very breathtaking to see the amount of neurodegeneration that they had.”
Dr. Davis says this person likely lost his or her sense of smell.
Dr. David Davis: “If it enters into the olfactory nerve, then it has the potential to go into the brain and cause more severe damage.”
Many scientists fear BMA exposure could cause or accelerate diseases in humans like Alzheimer’s, ALS and dementia.
And that’s because the link has already been made in other animals.
In fact, we met Dr. Davis in 2019, when he confirmed dolphin brains with BMA toxin showed they suffered from an Alzheimer’s-like disease.
Dr. David Davis: “Right now, we can’t definitely say that it is going to affect people with Alzheimer’s disease, but we would like to learn more.”
So how does algae toxin get from the water to our noses and then into our brains?
Well, wind and waves agitate the algae, and the toxins become airborne. The fear is blue-green algae may also be harmful to other parts of our bodies.
Dr. Shirley Gordan, FAU College of Nursing: “Well, it’s a large freezer that is set to minus 80.”
Dr. Shirley Gordan at Florida Atlantic University also has a deep freeze … but she’s after blood and urine samples.
Dr. Shirley Gordan: “We will be collecting samples every time there is a bloom.”
She’s overseeing a 10-year study to see if other toxins in blue-green algae cause liver damage in humans, like they do in dogs and livestock.
During one sample collection in Stuart, the FAU team found these toxins in 95% of participants.
Dr. Shirley Gordan: “But what does that mean? We don’t know. Science takes time. It’s frustrating that we don’t have the answers right now, because people are concerned right now.”
So how exactly this algae impacts our health is unknown … for now, but both South Florida scientists agree that if you can see it and smell it, stay away from it.
Kevin Ozebek, 7News.
CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.