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. 2022 Mar 15;14(3):209.
doi: 10.3390/toxins14030209.

First Report on Microcystin-LR Occurrence in Water Reservoirs of Eastern Cuba, and Environmental Trigger Factors

José Carlos Rodríguez Tito  1 , Liliana Maria Gomez Luna  1   2 , Wim Noppe Noppe  3 , Inaudis Alvarez Hubert  4
Affiliations

First Report on Microcystin-LR Occurrence in Water Reservoirs of Eastern Cuba, and Environmental Trigger Factors

José Carlos Rodríguez Tito et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

The factors related to cyanotoxin occurrence and its social impact, with comprehension and risk perception being the most important issues, are not yet completely understood in the Cuban context. The objectives of this research were to determine the risk extension and microcystin-LR levels, and to identify the environmental factors that trigger the toxic cyanobacteria growth and microcystin-LR occurrence in 24 water reservoirs in eastern Cuba. Samplings were performed in the early morning hours, with in situ determination and physicochemical analysis carried out in the laboratory. Microcystin-LR were determined in water and within the cells (intracellular toxins) using UPLC-MS analysis after solid phase extraction. The reservoirs studied were found to be affected by eutrophication, with high levels of TN:TP ratio and phytoplankton cell concentrations, high water temperatures and low transparency, which cause collateral effect such as cyanobacterial bloom and microcystin-LR occurrence. In Hatillo, Chalóns, Parada, Mícara, Baraguá, Cautillo, La Yaya, Guisa and Jaibo reservoirs, concentrations of MC-LR higher than the WHO limits for drinking water (1 µg·L-1), were detected.

Keywords: TN:TP; UPLC–MS; cyanobacteria; microcystin-LR; water reservoir.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Physicochemical analysis in the studied reservoirs in eastern Cuba.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Total nutrient concentrations in the studied reservoirs in eastern Cuba.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cyanobacteria cell concentration in 24 studied reservoirs at the eastern of Cuba.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Principal component analysis (PCA) of different environmental variable measures in 24 reservoirs in eastern Cuba.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Localization of the selected reservoirs for the study, and associated watersheds.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Calibration curve for microcystin-LR (MC-LR) analysis with UPLC–MS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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