Abstract
Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) produced by Alexandrium catenella (formerly A. tamarense) in Korean coastal waters caused the deaths of four people (in 1986 and 1996) who consumed contaminated mussels (Mytilus edulis). This led to more detailed consideration of the risks of PST outbreaks and incidents in Korea, including the introduction of shellfish collection bans. In this study, we investigated the relationships between A. catenella population dynamics and PST accumulation in the mussel M. galloprovincialis. Discharges from the Nakdong River affect the environmental conditions along the Geoje coast, resulting in low salinity and high nutrient levels that trigger blooms of A. catenella. At the toxin peak on 24 April 2017, the toxins detected in A. catenella cells were C1, gonyautoxin (GTX)1 and GTX2, whereas the concentrations of PSTs in M. galloprovincialis were high and in the order of GTX4 > GTX1 > GTX3 > saxitoxin (STX) > GTX2 > neoSTX > decarbamoylgonyautoxin (dcGTX)2 > dc GTX3. The PST level in mussels was also high. At 15 °C, the PSTs are constantly found to be higher (10-fold higher in 2017 and 30-fold higher in 2018) than safe levels for human consumption (80 μg STX diHCl equivalents 100 g−1).
Highlights
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by Alexandrium species are a growing environmental problem globally and have negative impacts on marine resources and human health [1]
Toxins 2020, 12, 442 important to have a solid understanding of the factors that influence the biosynthesis and accumulation of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) because toxic dinoflagellates are an ongoing problem for the seafood industry and continue to threaten human health worldwide [3,5,6]
HABs associated with PSTs in Korea have mainly been attributed to the species Alexandrium catenella, which has been restricted to the southeast coast, in Jinhae-Masan Bay and along the Busan and Geoje coasts [7,9]
Summary
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by Alexandrium species are a growing environmental problem globally and have negative impacts on marine resources and human health [1]. Members of this genus produce paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) [2], which accumulate in filter feeding bivalves and cause illness and death, i.e., paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in human consumers [3,4]. It is Toxins 2020, 12, 442; doi:10.3390/toxins12070442 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins. Little is known about toxin accumulation in filter feeder species associated with PSTs
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