Prospective study of acute health effects in relation to exposure to cyanobacteria.

Sci Total Environ

Université Laval, Faculté de médecine, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, 945 Ave. Wolfe, Quebec, Quebec G1V 5B3, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 945 Ave. Wolfe, Quebec, Quebec G1V 5B3, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Edifice Delta 2, Bureau 600, 2875 Blvd. Laurier, Quebec, Quebec G1V 2M2, Canada. Electronic address:

Published: January 2014

We conducted a study to investigate the relationship between exposure to cyanobacteria and microcystins and the incidence of symptoms in humans living in close proximity to lakes affected by cyanobacteria. The design was a prospective study of residents living around three lakes (Canada), one of which has a water treatment plant supplying potable water to local residents. Participants had to keep a daily journal of symptoms and record contact (full or limited) with the water body. Samples were collected to document cyanobacteria and microcystin concentrations. Symptoms potentially associated with cyanobacteria (gastrointestinal: 2 indices (GI1: diarrhea or abdominal pain or nausea or vomiting; GI2: diarrhea or vomiting or [nausea and fever] or [abdominal cramps and fever]); upper and lower respiratory tract; eye; ear; skin; muscle pain; headaches; mouth ulcers) were examined in relation with exposure to cyanobacteria and microcystin by using Poisson regression. Only gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with recreational contact. Globally, there was a significant increase in adjusted relative risk (RR) with higher cyanobacterial cell counts for GI2 (<20,000 cells/mL: RR=1.52, 95% CI=0.65-3.51; 20,000-100,000 cells/mL: RR=2.71, 95% CI=1.02-7.16; >100,000 cells/mL: RR=3.28, 95% CI=1.69-6.37, p-trend=0.001). In participants who received their drinking water supply from a plant whose source was contaminated by cyanobacteria, an increase in muscle pain (RR=5.16; 95% CI=2.93-9.07) and gastrointestinal (GI1: RR=3.87; 95% CI=1.62-9.21; GI2: RR=2.84; 95% CI=0.82-9.79), skin (RR=2.65; 95% CI=1.09-6.44) and ear symptoms (RR=6.10; 95% CI=2.48-15.03) was observed. The population should be made aware of the risks of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with contact (full or limited) with cyanobacteria. A risk management plan is needed for water treatment plants that draw their water from a source contaminated with cyanobacteria.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.07.045DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

exposure cyanobacteria
12
symptoms associated
12
cyanobacteria
9
prospective study
8
relation exposure
8
water treatment
8
contact full
8
full limited
8
cyanobacteria microcystin
8
muscle pain
8

Similar Publications

As a result of human activities, surface waters worldwide are experiencing increasing levels of eutrophication, leading to more frequent occurrences of microalgae, including harmful algal blooms. We aimed to investigate the impact of decomposing camelina straw on mixed phytoplankton communities from eutrophic water bodies, comparing it to the effects of barley straw. The research was carried out in 15 aquaria (five of each type - containing no straw, camelina straw, and barley straw).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Phenotypic screening in zebrafish larvae identifies promising cyanobacterial strains and pheophorbide a as insulin mimetics.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, s/n, Matosinhos, 4450-208, Portugal.

Diabetes is a pandemic disease that causes the loss of control of glucose regulation in the organism, in consequence of dysfunction of insulin production or functionality. In this work, the antidiabetic bioactivity of 182 fractions from 19 cyanobacteria strains derived from the LEGE Culture Collection were analysed using the 2-NBDG assay in zebrafish larvae. From this initial screening, two fractions (57 (06104_D) and 107 (03283_B)) were identified as promising insulin mimetics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are a diverse phylum of photosynthetic, Gram-negative bacteria and one of the largest microbial taxa. These organisms produce cyanotoxins, which are secondary metabolites that can have significant impacts on both human health and the environment. While toxins like Microcystins and Cylindrospermopsins are well-documented and have been extensively studied, other cyanotoxins, including those produced by and , remain underexplored.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Assessment of the Effects of Anatoxin-a In Vitro: Cytotoxicity and Uptake.

Toxins (Basel)

December 2024

Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad de Sevilla, Profesor García González 2, 41012 Seville, Spain.

Anatoxin-a (ATX-a) is a cyanotoxin whose toxicological profile has been underinvestigated in comparison to other cyanotoxins such as microcystins (MCs) or cylindrospermopsin (CYN). However, its wide distribution, occurrence, and toxic episodes justify more attention. It is classified as a neurotoxin, but it has also been reported to affect other organs and systems.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study reports the first documented accumulation of lyngbyatoxin-a (LTA), a cyanotoxin produced by marine benthic cyanobacteria, in edible shellfish in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study investigates two bloom events in 2022 and 2023 on Waiheke Island, where hundreds of tonnes of marine benthic cyanobacterial mats (mBCMs) washed ashore each summer. Genetic analysis identified the cyanobacterium responsible for the blooms as sp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!