Health Effects of Toxic Cyanobacteria in U.S. Drinking and Recreational Waters: Our Current Understanding and Proposed Direction

Otten, Timothy G.; Paerl, Hans W.

doi:10.1007/s40572-014-0041-9

Cited by 84 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 109 publications

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“…Toxin-producing blue-green algae, particularly prokaryotic cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa, in freshwater could grow up to a cell density of 10 9 cells/mL (Zohary and Pais-Madeira 1990) and often produce cyanotoxins (e.g., microcystin), which cause death in aquatic and terrestrial animals as well as creating problems for public drinking waters (Svrcek andSmith, 2004, Otten andPaerl, 2015). A provisional drinking water guideline of 1 μg/L (as total microcystin-LR, L: leucine, R: arginine) has been adopted by the World Health Organization (World Health Organization, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of Target Algae by Using Copper-Based Algaecides: Effects of Algal Cell Density and Sensitivity to Copper

Tsai

2016

Water Air Soil Pollut

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Public concerns regarding the use of copperbased algaecide for controlling problematic algae may arise due to the risks it creates to non-target algae. To examine this concern, a series of comparative algal toxicity experiments were conducted to study effects of prokaryotic and eukaryotic algal cell densities on their responses to exposures of copper sulfate and copper-ethanolamine (Cu-EA). Microcystis aeruginosa and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were cultured separately in BG 11 medium to three initial cell densities (5 × 10 4 , 5 × 10 5 , and 5 × 10 6 cells/mL). The 96-h EC 50 values of copper sulfate for M. aeruginosa at the three cell densities were 9, 63, and 112 μg Cu/L, respectively; and were 192, 1873, and 4619 μg Cu/L for P. subcapitata. The 96-h EC 50 values of Cu-EA were 101 and 2579 μg Cu/L for M. aeruginosa and P. subcapitata at 10 6 cells/mL. The margin of safety (MOS) for P. subcapitata at 10 4 cells/mL was 1.3, 0.9, and 0.8 when M. aeruginosa cell density was 10 4 , 10 5 , and 10 6 cells/mL. This laboratory study suggests that applying copper-based algaecides to control problematic algae at a relatively low cell density would inhibit their growth with minimum impacts on non-target algae; risks to non-target algae would increase with increases of problematic algal cell density.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management of Target Algae by Using Copper-Based Algaecides: Effects of Algal Cell Density and Sensitivity to Copper

Tsai

2016

Water Air Soil Pollut

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“…Linear regression models were developed for total microcystin and geosmin using routine monitoring data collected from Cheney Reservoir during 2013 to 2014. Models used data collected via water quality sondes (temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, pH, turbidity, and chlorophyll) or data collected discretely using USGS methods (total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonia [NH 3 4 ], dissolved phosphate, total phosphorus, etc.). Nondetect values were excluded from the analysis for microcystin and geosmin; explanatory variables were excluded if the nondetect values comprised more than 10% of the data set.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generalized linear models for predicting water quality impairment. In order to evaluate the usefulness of qPCR for predicting taste-and-odor events or microcystins, the qPCR and metabolite data were modeled using linear regression and compared to multiple linear regression models that incorporated routine physicochemical data from sondes (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chlorophyll, and turbidity) or a combination of sonde and laboratory measurements ( 4 ], dissolved phosphorus, total phosphorus, and total cyanobacteria) for estimating microcystin and geosmin (Table 2). This comparison is highly relevant because many water quality monitoring programs rely upon indirect sonde and water quality measurements to predict CyanoHAB risks.…”

Section: Shotgun Metagenomicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From a drinking water perspective, large accumulations of cyanobacteria pose a significant health concern due to their ability to produce a variety of bioactive metabolites, some of which are potent liver toxins or neurotoxins (3,4). Additionally, cyanobacteria are widely considered the most common source of the taste-and-odor (T&O) compounds geosmin (4,8a-dimethyldecahydroaphthalen-4a-ol) and MIB (2-methylisoborneol), which impart unpalatable earthy and musty flavors to drinking water (5).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Elucidation of Taste- and Odor-Producing Bacteria and Toxigenic Cyanobacteria in a Midwestern Drinking Water Supply Reservoir by Shotgun Metagenomic Analysis

Otten

Graham

Harris

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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While commonplace in clinical settings, DNA-based assays for identification or enumeration of drinking water pathogens and other biological contaminants remain widely unadopted by the monitoring community. In this study, shotgun metagenomics was used to identify taste-and-odor producers and toxin-producing cyanobacteria over a 2-year period in a drinking water reservoir. The sequencing data implicated several cyanobacteria, including Anabaena spp., Microcystis spp., and an unresolved member of the order Oscillatoriales as the likely principal producers of geosmin, microcystin, and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), respectively. To further demonstrate this, quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays targeting geosmin-producing Anabaena and microcystinproducing Microcystis were utilized, and these data were fitted using generalized linear models and compared with routine monitoring data, including microscopic cell counts, sonde-based physicochemical analyses, and assays of all inorganic and organic nitrogen and phosphorus forms and fractions. The qPCR assays explained the greatest variation in observed geosmin (adjusted R 2 ‫؍‬ 0.71) and microcystin (adjusted R 2 ‫؍‬ 0.84) concentrations over the study period, highlighting their potential for routine monitoring applications. The origin of the monoterpene cyclase required for MIB biosynthesis was putatively linked to a periphytic cyanobacterial mat attached to the concrete drinking water inflow structure. We conclude that shotgun metagenomics can be used to identify microbial agents involved in water quality deterioration and to guide PCR assay selection or design for routine monitoring purposes. Finally, we offer estimates of microbial diversity and metagenomic coverage of our data sets for reference to others wishing to apply shotgun metagenomics to other lacustrine systems. IMPORTANCECyanobacterial toxins and microbial taste-and-odor compounds are a growing concern for drinking water utilities reliant upon surface water resources. Specific identification of the microorganism(s) responsible for water quality degradation is often complicated by the presence of co-occurring taxa capable of producing these undesirable metabolites. Here we present a framework for how shotgun metagenomics can be used to definitively identify problematic microorganisms and how these data can guide the development of rapid genetic assays for routine monitoring purposes. C yanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) appear to be increasing globally in frequency, duration, and magnitude in response to human-accelerated eutrophication and climate change (1, 2). From a drinking water perspective, large accumulations of cyanobacteria pose a significant health concern due to their ability to produce a variety of bioactive metabolites, some of which are potent liver toxins or neurotoxins (3, 4). Additionally, cyanobacteria are widely considered the most common source of the taste-and-odor (T&O) compounds geosmin (4,8a-dimethyldecahydroaphthalen-4a-ol) and MIB (2-methylisoborneol), which impart unpalata...

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“…Increases in algal biomass are also associated with many of the negative human health and ecological consequences of eutrophication, such as reduced drinking water quality [29,30] and altered species composition [4]. Chlorophyll a (chl-a) is a photosynthetic pigment used to measure algal biomass [31].…”

Section: Open Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of chlorophyll a to total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in lotic ecosystems: a systematic review protocol

et al. 2017

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Background: Eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems resulting from nitrogen and phosphorus pollution is a major stressor across the globe. Despite recognition by scientists and stakeholders of the problems of nutrient pollution, rigorous synthesis of scientific evidence is still needed to inform nutrient-related management decisions, especially in streams and rivers. Nutrient stressor-response relationships are complicated by multiple interacting environmental factors, complex and indirect causal pathways involving diverse biotic assemblages and food web compartments, legacy (historic) nutrient sources such as agricultural sediments, and the naturally high spatiotemporal variability of lotic ecosystems. Determining nutrient levels at which ecosystems are affected is a critical first step for identifying, managing, and restoring aquatic resources impaired by eutrophication and maintaining currently unimpaired resources. The systematic review outlined in this protocol will compile and synthesize literature on the response of chlorophyll a to nutrients in streams, providing a state-of-the-science body of evidence to assess nutrient impacts to one of the most widely-used measures of eutrophication. This review will address two questions: "What is the response of chlorophyll a to total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in lotic ecosystems?" and "How are these relationships affected by other factors?" Methods: Searches for published and unpublished articles (peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed) will be conducted using bibliographic databases and search engines. Searches will be supplemented with bibliography searches and requests for material from the scientific and management community. Articles will be screened for relevance at the title/abstract and full text levels using pre-determined inclusion criteria; 10% (minimum 50, maximum 200) of screened papers will be examined by multiple reviewers to ensure consistent application of criteria. Study risk of bias will be evaluated using a questionnaire developed from existing frameworks and tailored to the specific study types this review will encounter. Results will be synthesized using meta-analysis of correlation coefficients, as well as narrative and tabular summaries, and will focus on the shape, direction, strength, and variability of available nutrientchlorophyll relationships. Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression will be used to evaluate potential effects of study quality and modifying factors on nutrient-chlorophyll relationships.

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Health Effects of Toxic Cyanobacteria in U.S. Drinking and Recreational Waters: Our Current Understanding and Proposed Direction

Cited by 84 publications

References 109 publications

Management of Target Algae by Using Copper-Based Algaecides: Effects of Algal Cell Density and Sensitivity to Copper

Management of Target Algae by Using Copper-Based Algaecides: Effects of Algal Cell Density and Sensitivity to Copper

Elucidation of Taste- and Odor-Producing Bacteria and Toxigenic Cyanobacteria in a Midwestern Drinking Water Supply Reservoir by Shotgun Metagenomic Analysis

Response of chlorophyll a to total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in lotic ecosystems: a systematic review protocol

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