Author

Drew Pendleton

Drew Pendleton

Dr. Drew Pendleton serves as state toxicologist for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. He was born and raised in Arlington, Texas, and went to college at Texas A&M University in College Station, where he earned his B.S. in Bioenvironmental Sciences, an MPH in Environmental Health, and a Ph.D. in toxicology. He began working for DHW in October 2021 while completing his Ph.D. studies and moved to Boise in January 2022. He serves the residents of Idaho in many ways such as health education, site assessment, community outreach, and advising the public of environmental health risks.

COMMENTARY
cyanobacterial bloom in water

Summer heat can cause dangerous conditions, harmful algal blooms in Idaho’s rivers and lakes

By: - July 17, 2023

As temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of a cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom, or cyanoHAB. CyanoHABs are caused by cyanobacteria, and the toxins they produce are harmful to humans, pets, livestock and wildlife. CyanoHABs can change and increase rapidly if conditions are right. They favor warm water, sunlight and specific nutrients in the water. These […]