Ecological and human health risk assessments of cyanotoxins and heavy metals in a drinking water supply reservoir.

Human beings are frequently exposed to a mixture of chemical pollutants through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water. The present study aimed to assess the ecological and human health risks associated with the contamination of cyanotoxins and heavy metals in a drinking water supply reservoir, the Tri An Reservoir (TAR), in Vietnam. Results demonstrated that the concentrations of individual heavy metals varied in the following order: iron (Fe) > lead (Pb) > arsenic (As) > zinc (Zn).

Health risk assessment related to cyanotoxins exposure of a community living near Tri An Reservoir, Vietnam.

Cyanotoxins released by cyanobacteria are currently a concern due to potential impacts on plants, animals, and human health. Many instances of cyanotoxin poisoning have been reported around the world, including acute, chronic, and fatal cases. In recent years, the Tri An Reservoir (TAR) in Vietnam has experienced influxes of cyanotoxins from toxic blue-green algae at levels which exceed the World Health Organization's (WHO) permitted level of 1 μg/L.