Premium
Influence of drinking water composition on quantitation and biological activity of dissolved microcystin (cyanotoxin)
Author(s) -
Oliveira Ana C. P.,
Magalhães Valéria F.,
Soares Raquel M.,
Azevedo Sandra M. F. O.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
environmental toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1522-7278
pISSN - 1520-4081
DOI - 10.1002/tox.20086
Subject(s) - microcystin , environmental chemistry , chemistry , chlorine , cyanobacteria , cyanotoxin , microcystin lr , contamination , water treatment , composition (language) , portable water purification , water quality , water pollution , biology , environmental engineering , bacteria , ecology , environmental science , linguistics , genetics , philosophy , organic chemistry
Toxic cyanobacteria in aquatic environments have been implicated in many poisoning incidents of livestock, wildlife, and domestic animals. Microcystins (MCYSTs) in water supplies represent a risk to public health. This work investigated the effect of water composition on the quantitation and biological activity of MCYSTs analyzed by different methods (HPLC, ELISA, and protein phosphatase 1 inhibition assay). Different MCYST concentrations were added to deionized water and quantified, confirming the efficiency of these analytical methods. MCYST concentrations diluted in drinking water had reduced detection by all methods tested. The drinking water used contained a free chlorine concentration of 2.5 mg/L and an Fe concentration of 0.45 mg/L, and the conductivity was 69.8 μS cm −1 , whereas in deionized water, free chlorine and Fe were not detectable, and the conductivity was 1.6 μS cm −1 . Drinking water also interfered with the biological activity of MYCSTs, as these toxins showed reduced protein phosphatase‐1 inhibition. A free chlorine concentration of 2.5 mg/L in deionized water was completely effective in preventing any detection of 10 μg/L of added MCYSTs. Fe and Al ions also were very effective in reducing MCYST detection. The chemical composition of drinking water thus affected MCYST detection, indicating a significant reduction in quantitation of this molecule either because of its decomposition or through complexation with metal ions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 20: 126–130, 2005.