PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An airborne irritant has closed at least six beaches in one county along Florida’s Atlantic coast.
According to The Palm Beach Post, lifeguards and local officials worry the beaches could be affected by the same red tide that has caused massive fish kills on Florida’s Gulf coast.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was sampling the waters off Palm Beach County.
Beachgoers began complaining about respiratory, skin and eye irritations at the beaches on Saturday. By Sunday, many lifeguards were wearing masks to protect against any irritant exposure.
The symptoms are similar to problems caused by the toxic algae bloom known as red tide, a natural occurrence that happens due to the presence of nutrients in salt water and an organism called a dinoflagellate.
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