Drivers of toxic cyanobacteria – solutions for drinking water management

Cyanobacterial blooms pose a severe health and environmental threat in surface waters around the world since they produce toxins, especially microcystins, that are hazardous to humans, wildlife, and livestock. This is especially problematic in surface waters that are used to produce drinking water. However, reliable tools to monitor and predict events of high microcystin levels are lacking.

This is largely because cyanobacterial populations consist of both strains that produce microcystins and those that do not.

To provide society with early-warning tools as well as proper management of surface waters, it is necessary to identify the factors that select for microcystin-producing strains in the natural environment.

Recent evidence points towards protection against oxidative stress (as a consequence of photosynthesis) as the main function of microcystins. However, studies so far are inconclusive.

The aim of this project is thus to determine which factors drive the toxicity of blooms and to ultimately use this knowledge to manage surface drinking water supplies by providing tools for early warning systems. We will study strain selection in the laboratory and field using tailored analytic tools.

We will also determine how to artificially select for non toxin-producing strains in drinking water infiltration dams.

Finally, we will develop an early warning method of bloom toxicity to be used by drinking water producers, municipalities and other relevant stakeholders.