Abstract
Background: Sicilian surface basins are among the most important water supply resources available on the island. They are often affected by harmful cyanobacteria blooms as Planktothrix rubescens and Microcystis aeruginosa. Since dialysates are produced using network water, they could contain cyanotoxins. No study has been conducted yet to evaluate the removal efficiency of osmotic systems for cyanotoxins in abnormal conditions at room temperatures of about 40°C. The aim of this study was to monitor the presence of microcystins in Sicilian dialysis center, network waters and, finally, dialysates produced from these waters in an Agrigento dialysis unit where environmental conditions are favorable for algal bloom. Methods: This clinic normally receives surface water from artificial basins, where several times, traces of cyanobacteria have been detected. Moreover, dialysates and underground supply waters of a clinic in Catania were also sampled as control. Samplings were performed in summer 2018, when room temperatures were above 38 °C. A total of 40 samples were analyzed by ELISA assay. Results: Results of our monitoring highlighted concentrations of MCs in waters of several basins among LOD - 155 ng/L, lower than WHO reference value for drinking waters (1,0 µg/L), that decrease up to undetectable levels whereas no MC contamination was detected both in supply waters and dialysates. Conclusion: Although our first set of data outcomes seem to be quite comforting, an improvement of law and a complete census of the water supplies of dialysate centers would be ideal.
Highlights
Cyanobacteria (Cyanophyte) are aquatic organisms that can live and grow both in fresh and brackish waters, sea and thermal waters [1 - 4]
The purpose of this study was to monitor the presence of microcystins in the mains water and, in the dialysates produced by them in a dialysis unit in Agrigento where the reverse osmosis systems of the clinic were exposed to high temperatures in the summer (2018) above 40 ° C together with ambient temperatures of the Agrigento clinic between 36-38 ° C due to a technical failure of the air cooling system
It seems evident that the supply water is the main source of dialysates contamination by cyanotoxins, due in particular to the lack of any mandatory control
Summary
Cyanobacteria (Cyanophyte) are aquatic organisms that can live and grow both in fresh and brackish waters, sea and thermal waters [1 - 4]. An emergent issue is the use of these waters for the productions of dialysates in hemodialysis processes. According to the Pharmacopoeia standards [16], the water coming from the network supply is employed directly for dialysate production. Sicilian surface basins are among the most important water supply resources available on the island. They are often affected by harmful cyanobacteria blooms as Planktothrix rubescens and Microcystis aeruginosa. Since dialysates are produced using network water, they could contain cyanotoxins. The aim of this study was to monitor the presence of microcystins in Sicilian dialysis center, network waters and, dialysates produced from these waters in an Agrigento dialysis unit where environmental conditions are favorable for algal bloom
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