Global scanning of anatoxins in aquatic systems: environment and health hazards, and research needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea M. Lovin ◽  
Bryan W. Brooks

Surface water contamination from the neurotoxic cyanotoxin anatoxin-a and its analogues present risks to global public health and the environment. Understanding aquatic hazards is critical for cyanobacterial blooms increasing in magnitude, frequency and duration. We examined published data to identify exceedances of guideline values (GVs) globally in various aquatic systems to understand hazards when exposure occurs. Environmental exposure distributions of surface water data (intra- and extracellular toxins) from recreational and potable source waters exceeded common GVs of 0.1, 1 and 300µgL–1 when blooms occur 79.62, 48.37 and 1.42% of the time respectively. In total, 66% of occurrences were from lacustrine ecosystems compared with reservoir, river, coastal and other systems, with almost all data from Asia–Pacific, Europe and North America, highlighting the need for more monitoring efforts in diverse systems and in developing regions. Reservoirs had greatest exceedances of the highest GV compared with other systems, especially in Europe, where an exceedance of 19.92% was observed. Aquatic toxicity and bioaccumulation data were examined and compared to these environmentally relevant concentrations, though a lack of high-quality data highlights major research needs. This study further identifies the utility of probabilistic cyanotoxins assessments to support identification of where environmental monitoring and research may be more effectively focused.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arash Zamyadi ◽  
Caitlin M. Glover ◽  
Attika Yasir ◽  
Richard Stuetz ◽  
Gayle Newcombe ◽  
...  

Abstract The occurrence of toxic cyanobacteria in surface waters and their impact on drinking water treatment plants (WTPs) is a growing, global concern. The main objective of this paper was to assess the presence of cyanobacteria in surface water sources and associated cell removal efficiency in full-scale WTPs across the world. Previously unpublished data was collected from WTPs experiencing cyanobacterial blooms in either their managed surface waters or recreational waters. In total, data were collected from 31 surface water sources and 21 WTPs in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The most commonly detected species were identified in both the surface waters, including Microcystis, Anabaena, Nostoc, Oscillatoria, and Planktolyngbya, and water treatment plant intakes, including Microcystis, Cylindrospermopsis, Anabaena, Pseudanabaena, and Aphanizomenon. In the intakes, cyanotoxins and taste and odor (T&O) compounds frequently co-occurred (80%) as did multiple cyanotoxins (39%). Conventional treatment saw a wide range of removal depending on the density of cells, species, and metabolites. Although more than 28% of sampling events displayed negligible or even negative removals of metabolites or cells due to accumulation within the clarifier, filtration, or water recycling, the presence of multiple treatment barriers, particularly advanced treatments like granular activated carbon and nanofiltration, allowed for the cells and their metabolites of concern to be removed to below guideline values. During treatment, total microcystins were often removed without releasing their intracellular fraction, whereas cylindrospermopsin, geosmin, and 2-MIB were commonly detected as entirely extracellular at the plant's intake. The maximum tolerable cell (MTC) counts for cyanotoxin- or T&O-producing cells were calculated using guideline values, average removal efficiency, and the average cell quota derived from data. The 21 WTPs in this work were found to be able to tolerate approximately 74,000 cells/mL for microcystins, 8,000 cells/mL for cylindrospermopsin, and 1,200 cells/mL for geosmin and 2-MIB before exceeding guideline values. These levels provide guidance for water treatment plant operators to assess the potential risk associated with cells capable of producing cyanotoxins or T&O compounds.


2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 2045-2049
Author(s):  
Catalina Gabriela Gheorghe ◽  
Andreea Bondarev ◽  
Ion Onutu

Monitoring of environmental factors allows the achievement of some important objectives regarding water quality, forecasting, warning and intervention. The aim of this paper is to investigate water quality parameters in some potential pollutant sources from northern, southern and east-southern areas of Romania. Surface water quality data for some selected chemical parameters were collected and analyzed at different points from March to May 2017.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 949-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hang Zheng ◽  
Yang Hong ◽  
Di Long ◽  
Hua Jing

Abstract. Surface water quality monitoring (SWQM) provides essential information for water environmental protection. However, SWQM is costly and limited in terms of equipment and sites. The global popularity of social media and intelligent mobile devices with GPS and photography functions allows citizens to monitor surface water quality. This study aims to propose a method for SWQM using social media platforms. Specifically, a WeChat-based application platform is built to collect water quality reports from volunteers, which have been proven valuable for water quality monitoring. The methods for data screening and volunteer recruitment are discussed based on the collected reports. The proposed methods provide a framework for collecting water quality data from citizens and offer a primary foundation for big data analysis in future research.


2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 628-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Lintern ◽  
Marion Anderson ◽  
Paul Leahy ◽  
Ana Deletic ◽  
David McCarthy

When assigning site-specific restoration targets for deteriorating aquatic systems, it is necessary to have an understanding of the undisturbed or background state of the system. However, the site-specific characteristics of aquatic systems prior to disturbance are mostly unknown, due to the lack of historical water and sediment quality data. This study aims to introduce a method for filling this gap in our understanding, using dated sediment cores from the beds of aquatic environments. We used Bolin Billabong, a floodplain lake of the Yarra River (South-East Australia), as a case study to demonstrate the application of this method. We identified the concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, tin and zinc at 8 cm intervals through the sediment core. This showed that aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel, tin and zinc concentrations in Bolin Billabong sediments significantly increased after European settlement in the river catchment in the mid-19th century. The differences between current Australian sediment quality guidelines trigger values and the background metal concentrations in Bolin Billabong sediments underscore the value of using locally relevant background toxicant concentrations when setting water and sediment quality targets.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Krystyna Koziol ◽  
Marek Ruman ◽  
Filip Pawlak ◽  
Stanisław Chmiel ◽  
Żaneta Polkowska

Surface catchments in Svalbard are sensitive to external pollution, and yet what is frequently considered external contamination may originate from local sources and natural processes. In this work, we analyze the chemical composition of surface waters in the catchments surrounding the Polish Polar Station in Svalbard, Hornsund fjord area. We have pooled unpublished and already published data describing surface water composition in 2010, related to its pH, electrical conductivity (EC), metals and metalloids, total organic carbon (TOC) and selected organic compound concentrations, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and surfactants. These data were statistically analyzed for spatial differences, using Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA), with distance from the station in the PCA approximating local human activity impact. The geological composition of the substratum was found to be a strong determinant of metal and metalloid concentrations, sufficient to explain significant differences between the studied water bodies, except for the concentration of Cr. The past and present human activity in the area may have contributed also to some of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), although only in the case of naphthalene can such an effect be confirmed by an inverse correlation with distance from the station. Other likely factors contributing to the chemical concentrations in the local waters are marine influence, long-range pollution transport and release from past deposition in the environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 630-652
Author(s):  
Puneeta Ajmera ◽  
Jaseela Majeed ◽  
Ramesh K. Goyal ◽  
Sheetal Yadav ◽  
Debraj Mukhopadhyay

World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a Pandemic and a global public health emergency. The eventual scope and consequences of this outbreak are uncertain at present as the condition is swiftly evolving. The purpose of this article is to cumulate existing published data and researches, identify the challenges with reference to India and develop a comprehensive preventive plan to prevent the spread of this deadly pandemic. The authors explored WHO situation dashboards, the web portal of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and press reports of different countries, published literature on coronavirus transmission, textbooks, scientific and medical journals and several other sources to identify ongoing challenges in the fight against COVID-19 in India. After an exhaustive literature search, 15 ongoing challenges in the fight against novel COVID-19 especially with reference to India have been identified. After a thorough analysis of all these challenges along with the lessons from the International community, a preventive plan has been established to be devised by different agencies from our personal perspectives to overcome the challenges which may assist decision-makers in the prevention and control of COVID-19 in India.


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