Book Description
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a global public health, environmental, and economic threat. Cyanobacterial toxins, or "cyanotoxins", can cause significant harm to human and animal health. Cyanotoxin-producing CHABs occur in many large socioeconomically-important lakes such as the Laurentian Great Lakes. Within the Laurentian Great Lakes, Lake Erie is the smallest, shallowest, and warmest, making it the most susceptible to CHAB events. Multiple federal, state, and academic groups currently monitor western Lake Erie for cyanobacterial abundance and toxicity; however, challenges arise when comparing data using various water sampling methods, analytical procedures, and inconsistent sampling schedules. Therefore, current sampling methods are insufficient to quantitatively measure cyanotoxins, such as microcystins and other emerging toxins of concern such as CYN. The second generation LightDeck MC/CYN HAB Toxin Detection System is a user-friendly technology capable of accurate measurements of microcystins and cylindrospermopsins that yields toxin data more efficiently and conveniently than the current EPA-validated Microcystin ELISA method. The LightDeck Toxin Detection System was implemented by citizen scientists in NOAA's Phytoplankton Monitoring Network in western Lake Erie as well as BGSU's routine monitoring of Sandusky Bay. These coordinated efforts not only provided data to validate LightDeck against the validated laboratory method, but also assessed the practicality of the instrument itself. A total of 302 comparison samples were collected and analyzed between collaborators. Laboratory experiments investigated potential sources of assay interferents, including silica from diatom frustules and instrument component contamination, that may be contributing to false positive microcystin results. However, there are no definitive conclusions regarding the source of discrepancies between analytical methods.