Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water A Guide to Public Health Consequences, Monitoring and Management

About this book

The threat posed by toxins from cyanobacteria to water supplies has increased world-wide during the past 30 years. Health problems attributed to the presence of such toxins in drinking water have been reported in a number of countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, England, South Africa and the USA. This book, which has been prepared by an international group of experts, examines the need to protect drinking water and other water supplies from contamination by toxic cyanobacteria and to control the impact of such bacteria on health. It discusses the nature , diversity and global occurrence of toxic cyanobacteria, their consequences for public health, and methods for the assessment, management, investigation and treatment of contaminated water supplies. Programmes for monitoring the causes and occurrence of cyanobacteria in water and techniques for the analysis of water samples are described. This book will be an invaluable source of information for environmental health officers and professional in the field of water supply, fresh water ecology, public health and health education, as well as students and consumer groups.

Contents

Foreword. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Water resources. Eutrophication., cynobacterial blooms and surface scums. Toxic cyanobacteria and other water-related health problems. Present state of knowledge. Structure and purpose of this book. References. Cyanobacteria in the environment. Nature and diversity. Factors affecting bloom formation. Cyanobacterial ecostrategists. Additional information. References. Cyanobacterial Toxins. Classification. Occurrence of cyanotoxins. Production and regulation. Fate in the environment. Impact on aquatic biota. References. Human Health Aspects. Human and animal poisonings. Toxicological studies. References. Safe Levels and Safe Practices. Tolerable exposures. Safe Practices. Other exposure routes. Tastes and odours. References. Situation Assessment, Planning and Management. The risk-management framework. Situation assessment. Management actions, the Alert Levels Framework. Planning and response. References. Implementation of Management Plans. Organisations, agencies and groups. Policy tools. Legislation, regulations and standards. Awareness raising, communication and public participation. References. Preventative Measures. Carrying capacity. Target values for total phosphorous within water bodies. Target values for total phosphorous inputs to water bodies. Sources and reduction of external nutrient and cyanobacterial control. References. Remedial Measures. Management of abstraction. Use of algicides. Efficiency of drinking water treatment in cyanotoxin removal. Chemical oxidation and disinfection. Membrane processess and reverse osmosis. Microcystins other than microcystin-LR. Effective drinking water treatment at treatment works. Drinking water treatment for households and small community supplies. References. Design of Monitoring Programmes. Approaches to monitoring programme development. Laboratory capacities and staff training. Reactive versus programmed monitoring strategies. Sample site selection. Monitoring frequency. References. Fieldwork: Site Inspection and Sampling. Planning for fieldwork. Site inspection. Sampling. Nutrients, cyanobacteria and toxins. On-site analysis. Field records. Sample preservation and transport. References. Determination of Cyanobacteria in the Laboratory. Sample handling and storage. Cyanobacterial identification. Quantification. Determination of biomass using chlorophyll a analysis. Determination of nutrient concentrations. References. Laboratory Analysis of Cyanotoxins. Sample handling and storage. Sample preperation for cyanotoxin determination and bioassays. Toxicity tests and bioassays. Analytical methods for cyanotoxins. References. Index.

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