Toxins 2014, 6, 3354-3387; doi:10.3390/toxins6123354 OPEN ACCESS toxins ISSN 2072-6651 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins Review The Fate of Microcystins in the Environment and Challenges for Monitoring Justine R. Schmidt 1,*, Steven W. Wilhelm 2 and Gregory L. Boyer 1 1 Department of Chemistry, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; E-Mail:
[email protected] 2 Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0845, USA; E-Mail:
[email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-315-470-6844; Fax: +1-315-470-6856. External Editor: Lesley V. D'Anglada Received: 1 November 2014; in revised form: 29 November 2014 / Accepted: 5 December 2014 / Published: 12 December 2014 Abstract: Microcystins are secondary metabolites produced by cyanobacteria that act as hepatotoxins in higher organisms. These toxins can be altered through abiotic processes, such as photodegradation and adsorption, as well as through biological processes via metabolism and bacterial degradation. Some species of bacteria can degrade microcystins, and many other organisms metabolize microcystins into a series of conjugated products. There are toxicokinetic models used to examine microcystin uptake and elimination, which can be difficult to compare due to differences in compartmentalization and speciation. Metabolites of microcystins are formed as a detoxification mechanism, and little is known about how quickly these metabolites are formed. In summary, microcystins can undergo abiotic and biotic processes that alter the toxicity and structure of the microcystin molecule. The environmental impact and toxicity of these alterations and the metabolism of microcystins remains uncertain, making it difficult to establish guidelines for human health.