Matt Parrow Alleviates Neighborhood Concerns Over ‘Blood’ Red Pond
When a subdivision in Union County grew increasingly concerned over a bright red storm water pond, a news station turned to the UNC Charlotte College of Science to get expert answers.
Residents reported the Indian Trail neighborhood’s homeowners association was unresponsive over their concerns that the pond could contain a toxic red algae bloom. With a lack of answers, the neighbors turned to WBTV and provided Channel 3 news with a sample from the pond.
“It looks just like blood,” said the concerned resident in the television interview. WBTV brought a sample of the pond water for investigation to Matthew Parrow, Ph.D., professor of Biological Sciences and associate dean for academic administration.
Parrow was able to examine the water sample under microscopy to determine the source of the red color in the pond.
“This isn’t a algal bloom at all, but actually a plant bloom. Growing on the surface of that pond is a high abundance of water meal and duckweed,” said Parrow. He further explained that they likely proliferated from recent rains, when fertilizer might wash into the slow-moving body of water and give the plants extra food to grow. The red color is an adaptation that protects the plants from sunlight.
The best news that WBTV could take back to the concerned residents is that Parrow assures them the plants are natural and non-toxic for the environment and humans.
