Osorno Enterprises Inc.

11/18/2024

Our company participates in the NORTHERN TERRITORIES WATER & WASTE ASSOCIATION conference and trade show. This trade show is being held on November 18th – 20th at Aqsarniit Hotel and Conference Centre in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

2024 Conference, Trade Show, & Operators Workshop Aqsarniit Hotel and Conference Centre Iqaluit, Nunavut November 18 – 22, 2024 2024 NTWWA Conference and Operators Workshop (Agenda not yet available) Monday, November 18, 2024: Meet and Greet in the evening. 8:00 PM Tuesday, November 19, 2024 : 8:0...

10/19/2024

Blue-green algae can affect the taste and odour of a water supply. Do not drink, or otherwise use, untreated water. Boiling algae-affected water will not inactivate its toxins – only adequate treatment will suffice. To keep algae from growing in your private drinking water supply, make sure that no light can enter the pipes or fittings, and make sure the tank is sealed.

The goal of this project team is to enhance the ITRC HCB technical and regulatory guidance document developed by the original HCB team with more detailed information focused on benthic cyanobacteria. The project team developed a companion technical regulatory guidance document (and subsequent traini...

10/12/2024

Cyanobacteria-affected water may not be suitable for drinking, recreation, or agricultural use. Some species of blue-green algae produce harmful toxins which take effect when eaten, inhaled, or when skin contact is made. Contact with affected water can cause skin irritation, mild respiratory effects, and hayfever-like symptoms. Ingesting toxins can also cause gastroenteritis symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and headaches. Toxins can also have an effect on the liver and the nervous system.

Avoid contact with cyanobacteria-affected water, particularly in areas with visible scum or discoloured water. Follow the advice on any nearby signs and keep out of the water until authorities advise that the risk has passed.
If you come into contact with affected water, you should remove any affected clothing and wash yourself thoroughly with clean water. Affected wet suits should be rinsed in fresh water to remove any trace of algae. If you experience any problems, then you should seek medical advice.

The Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality are comprised of multiple guideline technical documents that consider the various factors that could interfere with the safety of recreational waters from a human health perspective

10/05/2024

Cyanobacteria blooms are very dangerous for aquatic life. It only requires 3 components for a bloom to begin, 2 of which are naturally occurring and plentiful. The 2 naturally occurring components cyanobacteria needs are nitrogen (N2), which they can fix from the air, and sunlight, which they convert to the energy via photosynthesis. The only external component that cyanobacteria needs is phosphorus (>0.03 mg/l is sufficient). If these 3 components are present, then cyanobacteria are capable of massive overgrowth within a very short period of time. The overgrowth of blue-green algae consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight from underwater plants. When the blue-green algae eventually dies, the oxygen in the water is consumed, furthermore toxins, phosphorus, and nitrogen are all released into the water. A lack of oxygen causes eutrophication, which together with toxins makes it impossible for aquatic life to survive.

Harmful Cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria bloom in Lake Erie. Photo courtesy of Tim Davis. Cyanobacteria are the most prevalent harmful algal group in freshwater environments, presenting a rapidly expanding global threat to human and ecosystem health. Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) can ma...

09/30/2024

Water containing cyanobacteria can be toxic to wildlife and domestic animals. Animals drinking this water can fall ill and suffer a painful death. The effect of micro-algal toxins, both in marine and freshwater environments, has increased in severity in recent years. As a result, such poisonous incidents are becoming more common and more widespread. For example, in 2020 there was a mass elephant death (more than 300) incident in a concentrated region of Botswana.

Learn what scientists believe was the cause of mysterious mass mortality events for elephants. Spoiler: It was a cyanobacteria.

09/09/2024

Micro-algae can cause harmful algal blooms (HABs) in fresh and saline waters. Depending on the type of algae, HABs can cause serious health effects or even death. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (https://www.niehs.nih.gov/) published a table that lists common types of toxins produced from algal blooms. Sea water toxins can cause anything from vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, seizures, permanent short term memory loss, paralysis, or even death. Freshwater toxins can cause anything from skin rashes, headaches, cramps, gastrointestinal illness and liver damage, paralysis, or even death.

09/02/2024

While travelling home from site maintenance a week ago, we witnessed the mass of algal blooms present in Lake Winnipeg.
An algal bloom (also known as an algae bloom) is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in freshwater or saltwater systems. The standard way to recognize one is from a change in the water’s colour due to the pigments of the mass of algae present. Algal blooms can be green, blue-green, red, or brown, depending on the type of algae. Some micro-algae produce toxins, that are dangerous for water and land habitats.

07/09/2024

01/13/2024

We would like to announce that our long term Research & Development on a new titration method for the standardization of sodium chlorite aqueous solutions has been successfully accomplished. The results of the R&D were finalized in our joint article with Dr. David Herbert’s (Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba) Research Group, that was published in the ACS Journal. This research was initiated by Dr. Peter Hombach in 2014, and the published article is dedicated to his memory. The article “A Titration Method for Standardization of Aqueous Sodium Chlorite Solutions Using Thiourea Dioxide” is available for open access.
The research was supported by NSERC Engage and NRC-IRAP.

Accurate and cost-effective methods for the analysis of oxychlorine compounds in water are critical to modern chlorine-based water treatment. With alternatives to elemental chlorine and hypochlorite bleaches growing in popularity, simple quantification methods for the disinfectant chlorine dioxide (...

09/23/2023

Osorno will be participating in the 2023 FALL AMM CONVENTION. We invite you to visit our booth #83 on November 28 from 9:00 am till 4:00 pm at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba.

Association of Manitoba Municipalities