Abstract
The factors related to cyanotoxin occurrence and its social impact, with comprehension and risk perception being the most important issues, are not yet completely understood in the Cuban context. The objectives of this research were to determine the risk extension and microcystin-LR levels, and to identify the environmental factors that trigger the toxic cyanobacteria growth and microcystin-LR occurrence in 24 water reservoirs in eastern Cuba. Samplings were performed in the early morning hours, with in situ determination and physicochemical analysis carried out in the laboratory. Microcystin-LR were determined in water and within the cells (intracellular toxins) using UPLC–MS analysis after solid phase extraction. The reservoirs studied were found to be affected by eutrophication, with high levels of TN:TP ratio and phytoplankton cell concentrations, high water temperatures and low transparency, which cause collateral effect such as cyanobacterial bloom and microcystin-LR occurrence. In Hatillo, Chalóns, Parada, Mícara, Baraguá, Cautillo, La Yaya, Guisa and Jaibo reservoirs, concentrations of MC-LR higher than the WHO limits for drinking water (1 µg·L−1), were detected.
Highlights
The increasing eutrophication of aquatic environments caused by industrial development favors the massive growth of microorganisms such as cyanobacteria [1]; these species are able to produce potent toxins [2], which affect drinking water and aquatic organisms through the food chain [3,4]
The objective of this paper is to identify the risk extension and the main environmental factors that trigger the toxic cyanobacteria growth and microcystin-LR levels in selected water reservoirs of eastern Cuba
The highest agriculture use in the catchment area was identified in Bio (90%) and La Yaya reservoirs (70%), while the highest forestry use (80%) was identified in Paso Malo and Charco Mono
Summary
The increasing eutrophication of aquatic environments caused by industrial development favors the massive growth of microorganisms such as cyanobacteria [1]; these species are able to produce potent toxins (i.e., microcystins and cylindrospermopsins) [2], which affect drinking water and aquatic organisms through the food chain [3,4]. The consequences of the poisoning or damage caused by cyanotoxins are often being addressed in the medical world, leading to large economic costs [5]. Some environmental factors such as pH, spectral irradiance and temperature can influence the proliferation of toxic phytoplankton species in water bodies [6,7]. The current changing climate could potentially favor toxic cyanobacteria growth [6,9,10]. Microcystin is the most studied cyanotoxin with more than 90 variants, microcystin-LR (MC-LR) being the most toxic and widely-distributed [13]
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