Recognition of an Important Water Quality Issue at Zoos: Prevalence and Potential Threat of Toxic Cyanobacteria

Doster, Enrique; Chislock, Michael F.; Roberts, John F.; Kottwitz, Jack J.; Wilson, Alan E.

doi:10.1638/2013-0040r1.1

Cited by 9 publications

References 10 publications

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Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms on Amphibians and Reptiles are Under‐Reported and Under‐Represented

Tornabene,

Smalling,

Hossack

2024

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a persistent and increasing problem globally, yet we still have limited knowledge about how they affect wildlife. Although semi‐aquatic and aquatic amphibians and reptiles have experienced large declines and occupy environments where HABs are increasingly problematic, their vulnerability to HABs remains unclear. To inform monitoring, management, and future research, we conducted a literature review, synthesized the studies, and report on the mortality events describing effects of cyanotoxins from HABs on freshwater herpetofauna. Our review identified 37 unique studies and 71 endpoints (no‐observed‐effect and lowest‐observed‐effect concentrations) involving 11 amphibian and 3 reptile species worldwide. Responses varied widely among studies, species, and exposure concentrations used in experiments. Concentrations causing lethal and sublethal effects in laboratory experiments were generally 1 to 100 µg/L, which contains the mean value of reported HAB events but is 70 times less than the maximum cyanotoxin concentrations reported in the environment. However, one species of amphibian was tolerant to concentrations of 10,000 µg/L, demonstrating potentially immense differences in sensitivities. Most studies focused on microcystin‐LR (MC‐LR), which can increase systemic inflammation and harm the digestive system, reproductive organs, liver, kidneys, and development. The few studies on other cyanotoxins illustrated that effects resembled those of MC‐LR at similar concentrations, but more research is needed to describe effects of other cyanotoxins and mixtures of cyanotoxins that commonly occur in the environment. All experimental studies were on larval and adult amphibians; there were no such studies on reptiles. Experimental work with reptiles and adult amphibians is needed to clarify thresholds of tolerance. Only nine mortality events were reported, mostly for reptiles. Given that amphibians likely decay faster than reptiles, which have tissues that resist decomposition, mass amphibian mortality events from HABs have likely been under‐reported. We propose that future efforts should be focused on seven major areas, to enhance our understanding of effects and monitoring of HABs on herpetofauna that fill important roles in freshwater and terrestrial environments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1–14. Published 2024. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

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Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms on Amphibians and Reptiles are Under‐Reported and Under‐Represented

Tornabene,

Smalling,

Hossack

2024

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Cyanotoxins: producing organisms, occurrence, toxicity, mechanism of action and human health toxicological risk evaluation

et al. 2017

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Cyanobacteria were present on the earth 3.5 billion years ago; since then they have colonized almost all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They produce a high number of bioactive molecules, among which some are cyanotoxins. Cyanobacterial growth at high densities, forming blooms, is increasing in extension and frequency, following anthropogenic activities and climate changes, giving rise to some concern for human health and animal life exposed to cyanotoxins. Numerous cases of lethal poisonings have been associated with cyanotoxins ingestion in wild animal and livestock. In humans few episodes of lethal or severe human poisonings have been recorded after acute or short-term exposure, but the repeated/chronic exposure to low cyanotoxin levels remains a critical issue. The properties of the most frequently detected cyanotoxins (namely, microcystins, nodularins, cylindrospermopsin and neurotoxins) are here critically reviewed, describing for each toxin the available information on producing organisms, biosynthesis/genetic and occurrence, with a focus on the toxicological profile (including kinetics, acute systemic toxicity, mechanism and mode of action, local effects, repeated toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity; human health effects and epidemiological studies; animal poisoning) with the derivation of health-based values and considerations on the risks for human health.

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Bacteriology

Wellehan¹,

Divers²

2019

Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery

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Recognition of an Important Water Quality Issue at Zoos: Prevalence and Potential Threat of Toxic Cyanobacteria

Cited by 9 publications

References 10 publications

Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms on Amphibians and Reptiles are Under‐Reported and Under‐Represented

Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms on Amphibians and Reptiles are Under‐Reported and Under‐Represented

Cyanotoxins: producing organisms, occurrence, toxicity, mechanism of action and human health toxicological risk evaluation

Bacteriology

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