{"id":2752,"date":"2026-07-18T05:34:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T05:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2752"},"modified":"2026-07-18T05:34:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T05:34:42","slug":"symposium-examines-effectiveness-safety-of-genki-balls-on-water-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2752","title":{"rendered":"Symposium examines effectiveness, safety of genki balls on water quality"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The effectiveness and safety of genki balls, a popular community-driven, anti-pollution initiative, were the focus of a symposium Thursday at Hawaii Pacific University.<\/p>\n

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The handmade mud and clay spheres, packed with so-called effective microorganisms, have been widely used in Hawaii waterways \u2014 particularly the Ala Wai Canal, where organizers say more than 300,000 genki balls have been tossed over the past seven years.<\/p>\n

However, new research presented by HPU scientists is raising questions about whether the balls actually improve water quality.<\/p>\n

Dr. Carmella Vizza, an HPU professor who led the research team, said, \u201cOur goal was not to draw conclusions about public health risks, but to ensure that appropriate agencies had the opportunity to evaluate that evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The HPU team conducted laboratory testing and a two-year field study at Hamakua Marsh.<\/p>\n

Researchers said they found no evidence that genki balls improved water quality and, in some cases, observed potentially harmful effects.<\/p>\n

According to the study, higher application rates caused dissolved oxygen levels in water to drop significantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLow oxygen levels can lead to fish kills and harm other aquatic life, including native species,\u201d Vizza said.<\/p>\n

Researchers also reported identifying a potentially harmful organism within the effective microorganism mixture used in the balls, prompting concerns about human exposure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found out that there is this potentially harmful organism in the EM. That\u2019s when we got really concerned,\u201d Vizza said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like it was our duty to approach (the Hawaii Department of Health) and say, \u2018Hey, this is maybe something you should look into because children are handling genki balls without gloves,\u2019\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

View the team\u2019s presentation slides:<\/p>\n

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