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Review
. 2023 Sep 20;15(9):582.
doi: 10.3390/toxins15090582.

Understanding the Risks of Diffusion of Cyanobacteria Toxins in Rivers, Lakes, and Potable Water

Amin Mahmood Thawabteh  1   2 , Hani A Naseef  1 , Donia Karaman  3 , Sabino A Bufo  4   5 , Laura Scrano  6 , Rafik Karaman  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Understanding the Risks of Diffusion of Cyanobacteria Toxins in Rivers, Lakes, and Potable Water

Amin Mahmood Thawabteh et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, may be prevalent in our rivers and tap water. These minuscule bacteria can grow swiftly and form blooms in warm, nutrient-rich water. Toxins produced by cyanobacteria can pollute rivers and streams and harm the liver and nervous system in humans. This review highlights the properties of 25 toxin types produced by 12 different cyanobacteria genera. The review also covered strategies for reducing and controlling cyanobacteria issues. These include using physical or chemical treatments, cutting back on fertilizer input, algal lawn scrubbers, and antagonistic microorganisms for biocontrol. Micro-, nano- and ultrafiltration techniques could be used for the removal of internal and extracellular cyanotoxins, in addition to powdered or granular activated carbon, ozonation, sedimentation, ultraviolet radiation, potassium permanganate, free chlorine, and pre-treatment oxidation techniques. The efficiency of treatment techniques for removing intracellular and extracellular cyanotoxins is also demonstrated. These approaches aim to lessen the risks of cyanobacterial blooms and associated toxins. Effective management of cyanobacteria in water systems depends on early detection and quick action. Cyanobacteria cells and their toxins can be detected using microscopy, molecular methods, chromatography, and spectroscopy. Understanding the causes of blooms and the many ways for their detection and elimination will help the management of this crucial environmental issue.

Keywords: Anabaena; Microcystis; biocontrol; cyanobacteria blooms; cyanotoxins; cylindrospermopsin; satellite imagery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cyanobacterial growth and dissemination on lake (a–c) and river (d) surfaces [3,8]. Reproduced with permission from Tao Lyu, Lirong Song, Qiuwen Chen, and Gang Pan, Water Journal; published by MDPI, 2020. Reproduced with permission from Moreira, C.; Vasconcelos, V.; Antunes, A., Earth Journal; published by MDPI, 2022.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Factors promoting cyanobacteria bloom formation and diffusion.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structures of microcystin (1), microcystin-LR (2), microcystin-LA (3), microcystin-YR (4), microcystin-RR (5), microcystin-LF (6), Nodularin (7), Cylindrospermopsin (8), Anatoxin-a (9), Homoanatoxin (10), Oscillatoxin A (11), and Nakienones A–C (12–14).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Chemical structures of aphantoxin (15), debromoaplysiatoxin (16), scytophycins A-E (17–21), lyngbyatoxins A-C (22–24), and acutiphycin (25).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Techniques and methods for managing and mitigating cyanobacterial blooms and toxins.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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