Aquatic (Marine and Freshwater) Biotoxins
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This report contains the collective views of an international group of experts and does not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Pro- ____ gramme, the International Labour Organisa- tion, or the World Health Organization Environmental Health Criteria 37 AQUATIC (MARINE AND FRESHWATER) BIOTOXINS Published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, r the International Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization ( oc AND Nj4 TtO 'p World Health Organization Geneva, 1984 The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) is a joint venture of the United Nations Environment Programme, the Interna- tional Labour Organisation, and the World Health Organization. The main objective of the IPCS is to carry out and disseminate evaluations of the effects of chemicals on human health and the quality of the environment. ___ Supporting activities include the development of epidemiological, experi- mental laboratory, and risk-assessment methods that could produce inter- nationally comparable results, and the development of manpower in the field of toxicology. Other activities carried out by IPCS include the devel- opment of know-how for coping with chemical accidents, coordination of laboratory testing and epidemiological studies, and promotion of research on the mechanisms of the biological action of chemicals. ISBN 92 4 154097 4 ©World Health Organization 1984 14 Publications of the World Health Organization enjoy copyright protec- tion in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 2 of the Universal Copy- right Convention. For rights of reproduction or translation of WHO publica- tions, in part or in toto, application should be made to the Office of Publica- tions, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. The World Health Organization welcomes such applications. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or con- cerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not men- tioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. PRINTED IN FINLAND 8316227 - VAMMALA - 5500 -3- CONTENTS Page IF ENVIRONMENTAL -HEALTH CRITERIA FOR AQUATIC (MARINE AND FRESHWATER) BIOTOXINS .............8 SUMMARY WITH EVALUATION OF THE HEALTH RISKS OF EXPOSURE TO AQUATIC BIOTOXINS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER ACTIVITIES .........................9 INTRODUCTION; AQUATIC BIOTOXINS AND HUMAN HEALTH ......18 1. PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONS ..............21 1.1 Properties and analytical methods .........21 1.1.1 Chemical properties .............21 1.1.2 Methods of analysis for PSP in foods . 23 1.1.2.1 Biological methods .........23 1.1.2.2 Chemical methods ..........24 1.2 Sources and occurrence ...............25 1.2.1 Algal formation of toxins ..........25 1.2.1.1 Oceanographic conditions associated with blooms (red tide) .......27 1.2.2 Occurrence in seafood ............28 1.2.2.1 Accumulation in mulluscs ......28 1.2.2.2 Accumulation in crustacea ......30 ' 1.2.2.3 Transmission through zooplankton to fish ............... 30 1.2.2.4 Accumulation in fish ........ 31 1.3 Exposure ...................... 32 1.4 Metabolism ..................... 32 1.5 Effects in animals ................. 32 1.5.1 Field observations ............. 32 1.5.1.1 Fish ................ 32 1.5.1.2 Sea birds .............. 33 1.5.2 Experimental studies ............ 34 1.5.2.1 Acute toxicity ........... 34 1.5.2.2 Mode of action ........... 37 1.6 Effects on man ................... 38 1.6.1 Clinical studies .............. 38 1.6.2 Epidemiological studies ...........39 2. CIGUATERA TOXINS ....................42 2.1 Properties and analytical methods .........42 op 2.1.1 Chemical properties .............42 2.1.2 Methods of analysis for foodstuffs .....43 2.1.2.1 Biological methods .........43 -4- Page 2.1.2.2 Chemical methods 44 2.2 Sources, occurrence, and exposure ......... 44 2.2.1 Algae ................... 44 2.2.2 Occurrence in fish ............. 45 2.2.3 Environmental factors influencing the growth of causative dinoflagellates ........ 45 2.2.4 Human exposure ............... 46 2.3 Metabolism .................... 47 2.4 Effects on animals ................ 47 2.4.1 Experimental studies ............ 47 2.4.2 Mode of action ............... 47 2.5 Effects on man .................. 47 2.5.1 Clincial studies .............. 47 2.5.2 Epidemiological studies .......... 48 3. TETRODOTOXIN (PUFFERFISH POISON) ........... 52 3.1 Properties and analytical methods ......... 52 3.1.1 Chemical properties ............ 52 3.1.2 Methods of analysis for tetrodotoxin in foods .................. 52 3.2 Occurrence and human exposure ........... 53 3.3 Mode of action .................. 54 3.4 Effects on animals ................ 54 3.5 Effects on man .................. 55 4. NEUROTOXIC SHELLFISH POISONS ............. 57 4.1 Properties and analytical methods .........57 4.2 Sources and occurrence ..............58 4.3 Effects on animals ................58 4.3.1 Field observations .............58 4.3.2 Experimental animal studies ........59 4.4 Effects on man ..................61 5. DIARRHOEIC SHELLFISH POISON .............. 62 5.1 Sources and occurrence .............. 62 5.2 Chemical properties ................ 62 5.3 Analytical method ................. 63 5.4 Effects on animals - experimental studies ..... 63 5.5 Effects on man .................. 64 6. CYANOPHYTE TOXINS ................... 65 41 6.1 Dermatitis—inducing marine cyanophyte toxins . 65 6.1.1 Sources and properties ...........65 -5- Page 6.1.2 Effects on animals 65 6.1.3 Effects on man ...............67 EM 6.2 Freshwater cyanophyte toxins ...........67 6.2.1 Sources, properties, analytical methods, and exposure ................68 6.2.2 Effects on animals ............69. 6.2.3 Episodes of adverse effects reported i n association with human exposure to toxic cyanophytes ................71 7. EVALUATION OF HEALTH RISKS OF EXPOSURE TO AQUATIC BIOTOXINS .......................72 REFERENCES........................7 3 01 S -6- WHO TASK GROUP ON AQUATIC (MARINE AND FRESHWATER) BIOTOXINS Members Dr M.A. Arellano-Parra, Centro General de Intoxicaciones, Caracas, Venezuela Dr R. Bagnis, Institut de Recherches Medicales Louis Malarde, Tahiti, Polynesie Française (Chairman) Professor A. Carpi de Resmini, Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Institute of Health, Rome, Italy Dr J.M. Hughes, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Dr C.Y. Kao, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA Professor H.D. Tandon, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India Dr K. Topsy, Chief Government Analyst of Mauritius, Vuillemain, Beau Bassin, Port Louis, Mauritius (Vice Chairman) Dr T. Yasumoto, Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Japan Academician J. Zachar, Centre of Physiological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Vlarska, Czechoslovakia Secretariat Dr R. Helmer, Scientist, Environmental Hazards and Food Protection, Division of Environmental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland Dr A. Koulikovskii, Veterinary Public Health, Division of Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland Associate Professor P. Krogh, Department of Microbiology, Royal Dental College, Copenhagen, Denmark (Iporary Adviser) (Rapporteur) Dr J. Parizek, Scientist, International Programme on Chemical Safety, Division of Environmental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland (Secre1) Technical Secretary for WHO of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Pollution (GESAMP). 14 -7-. NOTE TO READERS OF THE CRITERIA DOCUMENTS While every effort has been made to present information in the criteria documents as accurately as possible without unduly delaying their publication, mistakes might have occurred and are likely to occur in the future. In the interest of all users of the environmental health criteria documents, readers are kindly requested to communicate any errors found to the Manager of the International Programme on Chemical Safety, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, in order that they may be included in corrigenda, which will appear in subsequent volumes. In addition, experts in any particular field dealt with in the criteria documents are kindly requested to make available to the WHO Secretariat any important published information that may have inadvertently been omitted and which may change the evaluation of health risks from exposure to the environmental agent under examination, so that the information may be considered in the event of updating and re-evaluation of the conclusions contained in the criteria documents. 01 -8- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRITERIA FOR AQUATIC (MARINE AND FRESHWATER) BIOTOXINS Following the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972, and in response to a number of World Health Assembly Resolutions (WHA23.60, WHA24.47, WHA25.58, WHA26.68), and the recommendation of the Governing Council of the