Occurrence of Freshwater Cyanobacteria and Bloom Records in Spanish Reservoirs (1981–2017)

Abstract

Cyanobacterial blooms constitute a global environmental concern, with sometimes serious implications for human and animal health. Consequently, they represent a major problem in the management of water and aquatic ecosystems. The design of good quality control and management programs is therefore imperative and, for this, a good understanding of the state of the art becomes essential. In Spain, information related to freshwater cyanobacteria is somewhat scattered. Thus, the main objective of this work is to gather all the available information related to cyanobacteria in Spanish artificial water bodies (reservoirs), with special attention to episodes of massive proliferation and probable toxic events. Data for this review were obtained from scientific papers, technical reports, and from the websites of the different Spanish basin organizations. From the review carried out, it is relevant that: cyanobacteria species have been recorded in 252 of the 988 existing reservoirs and blooms in 91 of them (most of them destined for water supply), potentially toxic cyanobacteria are widespread, and that occurrence of blooms has increased recently. The latter could be attributed to a spread monitoring effort. Nevertheless, the effect of the increasing eutrophication and climate change should not be underestimated. In addition to the data compilation, the relation between the cyanobacteria recorded in the Spanish water reservoirs and the geological area where the reservoirs are located has been analyzed.

Widespread formation of intracellular calcium carbonates by the bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis

“…All sampled water bodies are affected by human activity (Catherine et al, 2010). The sites of Champs‐sur‐Marne, Verneuil‐sur‐Seine, Cergy‐Pontoise, and Grande Paroisse are recreational lakes located in the suburban area of Paris, Ile‐de‐France and are known to have experienced recurrent episodes of cyanobacterial blooms, including Microcystis ones, over the recent years (Ledreux et al, 2010; Louati et al, 2015; Sotton et al, 2019; Vieira‐Lanero et al, 2022). Champs‐Sur‐Marne, Verneuil‐sur‐Seine, and Cergy‐Pontoise recreational areas were former quarries of alluvial and sand sediments, which were flooded between the 1940s and 1980s.…”

“…Champs‐Sur‐Marne, Verneuil‐sur‐Seine, and Cergy‐Pontoise recreational areas were former quarries of alluvial and sand sediments, which were flooded between the 1940s and 1980s. La Portiña reservoir in Spain was flooded in 1947, in a granitoid bedrock, and has been used as a water supply since then (Vieira‐Lanero et al, 2022).…”

Understanding the Risks of Diffusion of Cyanobacteria Toxins in Rivers, Lakes, and Potable Water

“…FISH was used to determine the cyanobacteria’s physical features, and qPCR experiments concentrated on genes specific to Microcystis and Anabaena . Microcystis was found to be the dominant cyanobacterium in the reservoir and to be capable of producing the hepatotoxin microcystin [ 250 ].…”