Monitoring Cyanobacterial Blooms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Campania, Italy: The Case of Lake Avernus.

Roberta Teta,Mariano Stornaiuolo,Massimiliano Lega,Silvia Scarpato,Valeria Costantino,Gerardo Della Sala,Marco Casazza,Germana Esposito,Aniello Anastasio

doi:10.3390/toxins13070471

Roberta Teta, Mariano Stornaiuolo + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13070471

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Abstract

Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous photosynthetic microorganisms considered as important contributors to the formation of Earth’s atmosphere and to the process of nitrogen fixation. However, they are also frequently associated with toxic blooms, named cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs). This paper reports on an unusual out-of-season cyanoHAB and its dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Lake Avernus, South Italy. Fast detection strategy (FDS) was used to assess this phenomenon, through the integration of satellite imagery and biomolecular investigation of the environmental samples. Data obtained unveiled a widespread Microcystis sp. bloom in February 2020 (i.e., winter season in Italy), which completely disappeared at the end of the following COVID-19 lockdown, when almost all urban activities were suspended. Due to potential harmfulness of cyanoHABs, crude extracts from the “winter bloom” were evaluated for their cytotoxicity in two different human cell lines, namely normal dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7). The chloroform extract was shown to exert the highest cytotoxic activity, which has been correlated to the presence of cyanotoxins, i.e., microcystins, micropeptins, anabaenopeptins, and aeruginopeptins, detected by molecular networking analysis of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) data.

Highlights

Lake Avernus (Lago d’Averno) is a volcanic lake located in the area known as Phlegrean Fields (Campi Flegrei), 2.5 mi west of Pozzuoli, in Campania, southern Italy (Figure 1).The area is known since the Romans, who settled its shores, on which villas and vineyards were built
Our new time-efficient time-efficient environmental monitoring strategy that uses satellite imaging to guide in situ environmental monitoring strategy that uses satellite imaging to guide in situ sampling sampling in selected selected spots, spots, followed followed by by lab lab analyses, and chemical in analyses, i.e., i.e., microscopy microscopy observations observations and chemical analyses analyses [2,3]
We report on the cyanobacterial bloom that occurred in Lake Avernus at the turn Here we report on the cyanobacterial bloom that occurred in Lake Avernus at the of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Italy

Summary

Introduction

Lake Avernus (Lago d’Averno) is a volcanic lake located in the area known as Phlegrean Fields (Campi Flegrei), 2.5 mi west of Pozzuoli, in Campania, southern Italy (Figure 1). The area is known since the Romans, who settled its shores, on which villas and vineyards were built. Our group group is is on on the the lookout lookout for for cyanobacteria cyanobacteria bloom bloom as as part part of of aa new. Our new time-efficient time-efficient environmental monitoring strategy that uses satellite imaging to guide in situ environmental monitoring strategy that uses satellite imaging to guide in situ sampling sampling in selected selected spots, spots, followed followed by by lab lab analyses, and chemical in analyses, i.e., i.e., microscopy microscopy observations observations and chemical analyses [2,3]. Our new time-efficient time-efficient environmental monitoring strategy that uses satellite imaging to guide in situ environmental monitoring strategy that uses satellite imaging to guide in situ sampling sampling in selected selected spots, spots, followed followed by by lab lab analyses, and chemical in analyses, i.e., i.e., microscopy microscopy observations observations and chemical analyses [2,3]. analyses [2,3].

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