The toxicity of cyanobacterial blooms as determined by microbiotests and mouse assays

Abstract

Cyanobactrial blooms are common throughout the world in eutrophic water bodies. Cyanobacterial hepato- and neurotoxins represent a health threat for humans as well as for animals in drinking water supplies. Mouse bioassays have been used extensively to detect cyanobacterial blooms toxicity but the use of warm-blooded vertebrates is limited to specialised laboratories and poses ethical problems. Hence, it is necessary to find alternative assays to detect and quantify cyanobacterial hazards. This study reports on the toxicity of 7 cyanobacterial bloom samples from the Jeziorsko. Reservoir in central Poland as determined with 4 microbiotests: the Thamnotoxkit F™, the Daphtoxkit F™ magna, the ProtoxkitF™ and the Spirotox. The phytoplankton samples were lyophilized, sonicated and passed through octadecyl cartridges. The results were compared to those obtained with mouse bioassays and HPLC analysis of microcystin-LR (MC/LR) in the bloom samples..