Experts from the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University and Tsinghua University have been discussing the bloom of blue-green algae afflicting Taihu Lake.

They have identified the algae as microcystis.

Professor Yu Shunzhang from Fudan University told China Daily that microcystis is the most poisonous of blue-green algae, giving out microcystin, a poisonous substance harmful to both plant and animal life.