Toxins 2014, 6, 488-508; doi:10.3390/toxins6020488 OPEN ACCESS toxins ISSN 2072-6651 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins Article Co-occurrence of the Cyanotoxins BMAA, DABA and Anatoxin-a in Nebraska Reservoirs, Fish, and Aquatic Plants Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak 1,3, Kyle D. Hoagland 2, David Cassada 3 and Daniel D. Snow 3,* 1 Environmental Health, Occupational Health, & Toxicology, Tropical Biological Researches Unit, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad 10071, Iraq; E-Mail:
[email protected] 2 School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA; E-Mail:
[email protected] 3 Nebraska Water Center and School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA; E-Mail:
[email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-402-472-7539; Fax: +1-402-472-9599. Received: 12 November 2013; in revised form: 19 December 2013 / Accepted: 17 January 2014 / Published: 28 January 2014 Abstract: Several groups of microorganisms are capable of producing toxins in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria are prevalent blue green algae in freshwater systems, and many species produce cyanotoxins which include a variety of chemical irritants, hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. Production and occurrence of potent neurotoxic cyanotoxins β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), 2,4-diaminobutyric acid dihydrochloride (DABA), and anatoxin-a are especially critical with environmental implications to public and animal health. Biomagnification, though not well understood in aquatic systems, is potentially relevant to both human and animal health effects. Because little is known regarding their presence in fresh water, we investigated the occurrence and potential for bioaccumulation of cyanotoxins in several Nebraska reservoirs.