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Related Experiment Videos

Red snow: is it safe to eat? A pilot study.

D C Fiore1, D D McKee, M A Janiga

  • 1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno 89557-0046, USA.

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine
|May 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Ingesting "red snow" contaminated with Chlamydomonas nivalis did not cause diarrhea in healthy volunteers. This pilot study found no evidence linking red snow consumption to gastrointestinal distress.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Human Health
  • Algal Research

Background:

  • Chlamydomonas nivalis, a psychrophilic alga, causes the phenomenon known as "red snow" in alpine and polar regions.
  • Concerns exist regarding the potential health effects of ingesting snow contaminated with C. nivalis, particularly the risk of gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the consumption of snow contaminated with Chlamydomonas nivalis leads to the onset of diarrhea.
  • To assess the safety of ingesting red snow in a controlled human study.

Main Methods:

  • A single-blind crossover study design was employed.
  • Seven healthy adult volunteers ingested 500 g of either C. nivalis-contaminated snow or a placebo snow.
  • Stool frequency and the occurrence of diarrhea were monitored as primary outcome measures.

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Main Results:

  • No statistically significant differences in stool frequency were observed between the group that consumed contaminated snow and the placebo group.
  • The incidence of diarrhea did not differ between the treatment and placebo conditions.
  • All volunteers tolerated the ingestion of contaminated snow without adverse gastrointestinal effects.

Conclusions:

  • This pilot study provides no evidence to support the hypothesis that ingesting "red snow" contaminated with Chlamydomonas nivalis causes diarrhea in healthy individuals.
  • Further research may be warranted to explore potential effects in different populations or with different exposure levels.
  • The findings suggest that concerns about C. nivalis in snow causing diarrhea may be unfounded based on this initial investigation.