Microcystin as a biogeochemical cycle: Pools, fluxes, and fates of the cyanotoxin in inland waters

Shingai, Quin K.; Wilkinson, Grace M.

doi:10.1002/lol2.10300

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(109 reference statements)

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“…Although cyanobacteria form the basis of food chains in the Great Salt Lake, they are better known for their ability to produce a range of toxic substances (cyanotoxins). Included in these are hepatotoxins (microcystins, nodularins), cytotoxins (cylindrospermopsins) and neurotoxins (saxitoxins, anatoxin-a, guanitoxin, BMAA and isomers) with both short-term and long-term adverse health effects [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. In addition to affecting salinity, the low water levels in the lake result in the exposure of cyanobacterial stromatolites, microbiolites and dried lake beds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyanotoxin Analysis of Air Samples from the Great Salt Lake

Metcalf,

Banack,

Cox

2023

Toxins

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The Great Salt Lake in Utah is the largest saline lake in the Western hemisphere and one of the largest terminal lakes in the world. Situated at the eastern edge of the Great Basin, it is a remnant of the freshwater Lake Bonneville whose water level precipitously lowered about 12,000 years ago due to a natural break in Red Rock pass to the north. It contains a diverse assemblage of cyanobacteria which vary spatially dependent on salinity. In 1984, the waters of the Great Salt Lake occupied 8500 km2. Nearly four decades later, the waters occupy 2500 km2—a reduction in surface area of 71%. With predominantly westerly winds, there is a potential for the adjacent metropolitan residents to the east to be exposed to airborne cyanobacteria- and cyanotoxin-containing dust. During the summer and fall months of 2022, air and dried sediment samples were collected and assessed for the presence of BMAA which has been identified as a risk factor for ALS. Collection of air samples equivalent to a person breathing for 1 h resulted in BMAA and isomers being found in some air samples, along with their presence in exposed lakebed samples. There was no clear relationship between the presence of these toxins in airborne and adjacent lakebed samples, suggesting that airborne toxins may originate from diffuse rather than point sources. These findings confirm that continued low water levels in the Great Salt Lake may constitute an increasing health hazard for the 2.5 million inhabitants of communities along the Wasatch Front.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyanotoxin Analysis of Air Samples from the Great Salt Lake

Metcalf,

Banack,

Cox

2023

Toxins

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“…Additional studies are needed to fill the gap in our knowledge of the role of nutrient-loaded freshwater pulses in phytoplankton succession and phycotoxin production during seasonal timescales and varied flow regimes in estuaries, providing essential information for effected restoration efforts in deltaic systems, like the Mississippi River Delta. Whereas previous synthesis papers have examined estuaries writ large [29][30][31] or in non-pulsed nutrient delivery settings [32], this review will use the well-studied Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, Louisiana, as the archetype to generate insights about future research directions in pulsed-nutrientdelivery estuaries. The goals of this review include: (1) discussing the environmental and biological drivers supporting the LPE cyanoHABs; (2) describing the nutrient pathways that contribute to the LPE cyanoHABs; and (3) casting a vision for an eventual human exposure forecasting tool based on this information.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Future of Cyanobacteria Toxicity in Estuaries Undergoing Pulsed Nutrient Inputs: A Case Study from Coastal Louisiana

Bargu,

Hiatt,

Maiti

et al. 2023

Water

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Harmful cyanobacteria blooms (cyanoHABs) are a global phenomenon, especially in calm, warm, and nutrient-rich freshwater and estuarine systems. These blooms can produce various potent toxins responsible for animal poisoning and human health problems. Nutrient-rich freshwater pulsed into estuaries affects turbidity, water temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations and ratios at irregular intervals, creating a highly dynamic habitat. However, the underlying processes that lead to the selective development of cyanoHABs for certain species and the fate of their toxins are still uncertain. This paper draws upon the rich body of research available for one such system, the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, Louisiana, to generate insights about future research directions in pulsed-nutrient-delivery estuaries. Toxin-producing cyanobacteria blooms in river-dominated Louisiana coastal ecosystems have already been documented at high concentrations, presenting a potential risk to human health as $2.4 billion worth of Louisiana’s fish and shellfish are consumed by millions of people throughout the US every year. Recent studies have shown that the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, just north of New Orleans, Louisiana has been experiencing cyanoHABs, likely connected to combinations of (a) high interannual variability in nutrient loading associated with seasonal and episodic rainfall, (b) the timing, duration, and magnitude of the flood-stage Mississippi River water diverted into the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, and (c) saltwater inputs from tropical storms. It is expected that cyanoHABs will become more frequent in Louisiana with a warming climate and changes to the timing and magnitude of river water diverted into the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, which will play a dominant role in the development of blooms in this region. More studies are needed to focus on the environmental conditions that control the succession or/and co-existence of different cyanobacteria species and their toxins, optimally culminating in a near-term forecasting tool since this information is critical for health agencies to mitigate or to provide early warnings. Toxin forecasts for pulsed-nutrient estuaries, including Lake Pontchartrain, could directly inform state and municipal health agencies on human exposure risks to upcoming cyanobacteria toxicity events by predicting cyanobacteria species shifts, potency, and toxin modality along the freshwater-to-marine continuum while also informing a longer-term projection on how the changing climate will impact the frequency and potency of such blooms.

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Eutrophication of Freshwater and Coastal Ecosystems

Wilkinson,

Johnson

2024

Encyclopedia of Sustainable Technologies

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Microcystin as a biogeochemical cycle: Pools, fluxes, and fates of the cyanotoxin in inland waters

Cited by 6 publications

References 72 publications

Cyanotoxin Analysis of Air Samples from the Great Salt Lake

Cyanotoxin Analysis of Air Samples from the Great Salt Lake

The Future of Cyanobacteria Toxicity in Estuaries Undergoing Pulsed Nutrient Inputs: A Case Study from Coastal Louisiana

Eutrophication of Freshwater and Coastal Ecosystems

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