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Occurrence of anatoxin-a(s) during a bloom of Anabaena crassa in a water-supply reservoir in southern Brazil

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Abstract

Cyanobacterial blooms and the accompanying production of cyanotoxins are a serious global problem. Toxic blooms of Anabaena species are common in lagoons and reservoirs of southern Brazil. Worldwide, species of the genus Anabaena produce the majority of the known hepatotoxins (microcystins) and neurotoxins [anatoxin-a, anatoxin-a(s), and saxitoxins]. This report links a bloom of Anabaena crassa in the Faxinal Reservoir, the main water supply for the city of Caxias do Sul (400,000 inhabitants) in southern Brazil, to the occurrence of anatoxin-a(s) in the water. During the bloom period, the reservoir was strongly stratified, with higher temperatures and a deep anoxic hypolimnion. Two methods for sample concentration (direct and complete extraction) were tested, and direct extraction of samples proved to be more efficient. Water samples collected during the bloom showed 9% acetylcholinesterase inhibition at 50 mg mL−1, corresponding to 0.61 μg of anatoxin-a(s) per gram of lyophilized powder. At these concentrations, symptoms of neurotoxicity and mortality were not observed in tests with Swiss albino mice. Although the concentrations of anatoxin-a(s) in the Faxinal Reservoir were low, these results are important because this is the first record of the toxin for A. crassa. Furthermore, this cyanotoxin is not yet included in Brazilian legislation for drinking-water monitoring, because of the lack of information about toxicity levels and risk calculation for oral doses. The data presented here contribute to the basis for the future inclusion of this toxin in Brazilian legislation for drinking-water quality control, and for the development of analytical methods for this toxin.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to CT-Hidro/CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico), CAPES (Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal Superior), and SAMAE (Serviço Autônomo Municipal de Água e Esgoto de Caxias do Sul) for financial support. We also are grateful to the chemical engineer Fernanda B. Spiandorello, Graziela P. Monçani, and Renivo Girardi, technicians from SAMAE, for technical support; Dr. Vera R. Werner from Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul for helpful discussion about species identification, and finally Dr. Janet W. Reid (JWR Associates) for the revision of the English text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Phycology, Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista s/no, São Cristovão, Rio de Janeiro, 20940-040, Brazil

    Vanessa Becker & Vera Lúcia M. Huszar

  2. Unidade de Pesquisa em Cianobactérias, Prédio da Hidroquímica—Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Campus Carreiros da FURG, Rio Grande, 96201-900, Brazil

    Priscila Ihara & João Sarkis Yunes

  3. Water Resources and Sanitary Engineering Post Graduate Program, Instituto de Pesquisas Hidráulicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Vanessa Becker

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  1. Vanessa Becker
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Correspondence to Vanessa Becker.

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Becker, V., Ihara, P., Yunes, J.S. et al. Occurrence of anatoxin-a(s) during a bloom of Anabaena crassa in a water-supply reservoir in southern Brazil. J Appl Phycol 22, 235–241 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-009-9451-8

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