and their Toxins Real Concern or Just Green Water?

Nicolas Clercin Research Scientist, IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental Science [email protected] What is an algal bloom?

Grand Lake St Marys, OH July 2010 (EPA)

Geist Reservoir, IN Summer 2011 (Environmental Law & Policy Center) NASA’s Aqua/MODIS Satellite – Oct, 9th 2011 Impacts Associated with Algal Blooms

• Anoxia (Oxygen Depletion) – Fish kills – Changes in freshwater community structure • Degradation of recreational resources – Socio-economic impacts – Property value impacts University Lake, IN – Recreational use limitation • Taste and odor in drinking water – MIB (musty) and Geosmin (earthy smell) • Algal Toxins

– Fish and other aquatic life Fox River, IL 2005 – Livestock – Pets (reports of dog deaths in Indiana, 2009) – Humans Palestine Lake, IN Algae classification

• Kingdom: Prokaryota – Cyanobacteria or “blue-green algae” • Prokaryotic algae lacking typical membrane-bound nuclei and plastids • Capable of photosynthesis (Photobacteria) • Gram- like E. coli* (gastroenteritis), Salmonella* (typhoid fever), Shigella* (dysentery), Pseudomonas (nosocomial infections), Neisseria (meningitis), Bordetella pertussis, Vibrio cholerae…

• Kingdom: Eukaryota – Eukaryotic algae with typical nucleus and pigments localized within plastids. • Chlorophytes (green algae) • Bacillariophytes (diatoms) • Cryptophytes (cryptomonads) • Pyrrhophytes (dinoflagellates) • Chrysophytes (golden algae) • Euglenophytes (euglenoids) *Microbial Contaminants in EPA Contaminant Candidate List 3 (CCL3) http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/index.html Cyanobacteria

• Chroococcales – Solidary or colonial coccoid “blue-greens”, never form true filaments • Include: Aphanocapsa, Aphanothece, , Coelosphaerium, , , , Hyella, Merismopedia, , Pleurocapsa, Synechococcus, Woronichinia

• Oscillatoriales – Filamentous colonies, no heterocyst- and akinete-formation • Include: Homeothrix, Limnothrix, Lyngbya, Oscillatoria, Phormidium, Planktothrix, Plectonema, Pseudanabaena, Schizothrix, Spirulina, Trichodesmium

• Nostocales – Filaments forming heterocysts and akinetes, but never true branches • Include: Anabaena, Anabaenopsis, Aphanizomenon, Calothrix, Cylindrospermun, Cylindrospermopsis, Gloeotrichia, Nostoc, Rivularia, Scytonema

• Stigonematales – Filaments forming heterocysts and true branches • Include: Brachytrichia, Desmosiphon, Fischerella, Hapalosiphon, Stigonema

Aphanocapsa Merismopedia Lyngbya Spirulina Anabaena Gloeotrichia Fischerella Stigonema

Chroococcales Oscillatoriales Nostocales Stigonematales Toxicity - Cyanotoxins • Hepatotoxins: disrupt proteins that keep the liver functioning, may act slowly (days or weeks later)

 Microcystins (>80 structural variants) -1 • LD50: 25-60 μg kg • Potent carcinogen (liver, kidneys)  , M. viridis  Anabaena flos-aquae, A. circinalis  Planktothrix agardhii, P. mougeotii  Oscillatoria limosa  Nostoc sp.  Anabaenopsis millerii  Aphanocapsa Microcystin-LR

 Nodularins (9) -1 • LD50: 60 μg kg  Nodularia spumigena

 Cylindrospermopsins (3) -1 • LD50: 300 μg kg  Aphanizomenon ovalisporum  Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii Cylindrospermopsin  Umezakia natans

Toxicity - Cyanotoxins

• Neurotoxins: cause rapid paralysis of skeletal and respiratory muscles

 Anatoxin-a (5) -1  LD50: 200-250 μg kg  Anabaena flos-aquae, A. planctonica  Anabaena spiroides, A. circinalis Anatoxin-a  Aphanizomenon sp.  Cylindrospermum sp.  Microcystis sp.  Oscillatoria sp.

 Anatoxin-a(S) (1)  -1 LD50: 20 μg kg Saxitoxin  Anabaena flos-aquae, A. lemmermannii

 Saxitoxins (20) -1  LD50: 10 μg kg  Potent neurotoxin; Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)  Anabaena flos-aquae, A. lemmermannii  Aphanizomenon flos-aquae BMAA  Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii  Lyngbya wollei  Planktothrix agardhii

 β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), neurodegenerative agents, causative of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC) Toxicity - Cyanotoxins

• Dermatotoxins: produce rashes and other skin reactions (hours or days). Potent irritants, vesicants and carcinogens.

 Lyngbyatoxin-a (1) • Potent irritant and vesicant, aka seaweed dermatitis  Moorea producta (ex- Lyngbya majuscula)  Aplysiatoxins (2) • Potent tumor promoters  Lyngbya majuscula Lyngbyatoxin-a

• Endotoxins: inflame gastrointestinal epithelium. They are pyrogenic (fever) and induce immune response. At high enough concentrations in blood, endotoxins are lethal (septic shock).

 Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) Toxins and Taste & Odor Compounds Produced by Cyanobacteria

Dermatotoxin, Hepatotoxin Neurotoxin Taste/Odor Species Endotoxin (Liver) (Nervous System) Compound Aphanacapsa spp. LPS microcystins Microcystis spp. LPS microcystins, nodularin anatoxins Snowella spp. LPS microcystins

Synechococcus spp. LPS microcystins MIB, Geosmin Woronichinia spp. LPS microcystins Lyngbya spp. LPS, lyngbyatoxins saxitoxins MIB, Geosmin

Oscillatoria spp. LPS, aplysiatoxins microcystins anatoxins, saxitoxins MIB, Geosmin

Planktothrix agardhii LPS, aplysiatoxins microcystins saxitoxins MIB, Geosmin Pseudoanabaena spp. LPS MIB, Geosmin microcystins anatoxins Anabaena spp. LPS MIB, Geosmin cylindrospermopsin saxitoxins Anabaenopsis elenkinii LPS microcystins cylindrospermopsin anatoxins Aphanizomenon spp. LPS Geosmin microcystins saxitoxins Cylindrospermopsis LPS cylindrospermopsin saxitoxins raciborskii

Nodularia spp. LPS microcystins ,nodularin

Modified from: Graham et al., 2008; LPS = Lipopolysaccharide Lawton and Edwards, 2008; NOAA, 2007; Graham, 2007; Wiedner et al., 2006

Status of Harmful Algal Bloom Guidelines and Standards

• Currently, there are NO US Federal guidelines, Water Quality Criteria and Standards or Regulations concerning harmful algal blooms. • Cyanobacterial toxins are on EPA CCL3; EPA is reviewing standards and risks. • World Health Organization* established guidelines for drinking waters (1998) and recreational use of water bodies (1999), based on: – Cell concentrations and/or biovolume; – Chlorophyll-a (equivalent to cell levels); – Microcystin. • Several states have statewide monitoring programs and well-defined public health reporting and response systems – Indiana is following this path.

*WHO (1998) Guidelines for Drinking–Water Quality. Second Edition, Addendum to Volume 2, Health Criteria and Other Supporting Information. World Health Organization, Geneva. *WHO (1999) Toxic Cyanobacteria in Water: A guide to their public health consequences, monitoring and management. I. Chorus and J. Bartram (eds.), E & FN Spon, New York, 416 WHO Guidance Values for Probability of Acute Health Risks During Recreational Exposure to Cyanobacteria and Microcystin-LR

Hazard Status Cyanobacteria Microcystin – LR Recommended Action < 20,000 cells. mL-1 or < 10 μg. L-1 chlorophyll-a Post Advisory Signs and <10 µg/L Low or Continue Monitoring < 2.5 mm3 L-1 cyanobacterial biomass 20,000 - 100,000 cells. mL-1 or 10 - 50 μg. L-1 chlorophyll-a Post Advisory Signs and 10 - 20 µg/L Moderate or Restrict Swimming 2.5 - 12.5 mm3 L-1 cyanobacterial biomass

> 100,000 cells. mL-1 or Post Advisory Signs, Prohibit > 50 μg. L-1 chlorophyll-a 20 - 2,000 µg/L Swimming and Other High or Water-contact Activities > 12.5 mm3 L-1 cyanobacterial biomass US States with Reports of Acute Cyanobacterial Poisonings*

Cyanobacterial Poisonings and Health Advisories Cyanobacterial Poisonings Health Advisories

*Graham, J. L. , K.A. Loftin, and N. Kamman. Monitoring Recreational Freshwaters. Lakeline. Summer 2009. pp 18-24 Central Indiana Reservoirs 2008-2011

107

6 10 High Risk • Cell Density: 105 Moderate Risk – Moderate risk from 104 April to June 103 Low Risk

2 – High risk from July to Density (cells/mL) Density 10 November 101 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 105

4 /L) 10 3

103 • Biovolume:

2 10 High Risk – Always at high risk!

101 Moderate Risk Biovolume (mm Biovolume Low Risk 100 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 102 • Microcystin:

Recreational Water 1 – Toxic from April to

g/L) 10  State of Indiana January 100 Drinking Water – Close to Indiana Detection Limit 10-1 recommendation Microcystin ( Microcystin from July to October 10-2 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2008-2011 Occurrences of Microcystin as Measured by Elisa-Adda in Central Indiana Reservoirs 8.0 Geist 6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0

g/L) 3.0 Morse 

2.0

1.0

0.0 Microcystin ( Microcystin 3.0 Eagle Creek Reservoir dam Upper reservoir 2.0

1.0

0.0 Jan-08 Jul-08 Jan-09 Jul-09 Jan-10 Jul-10 Jan-11 Jul-11 Jan-12

# Occurrences Central Eagle Creek Morse Geist (% Occurrences) Indiana # Analyzed 715 299 202 214 365 97 116 152 > 0.15 μg/L (51.0%) (34.2%) (57.0%) (71.0%) 82 5 13 64 > 1 μg/L (11.5%) (1.7%) (6.4%) (29.9%) 16 0 0 16 > 3 μg/L (2.2%) (0%) (0%) (7.5%) 1 0 0 1 > 6 μg/L (0.1%) (0%) (0%) (0.5%) Indiana Monitoring and Response to Harmful Algal Blooms • State of Indiana worked with CEES-IUPUI in 2008 to report results of CEES/Veolia Water monitoring of 3 central Indiana reservoirs • State of Indiana utilizes 100,000 cells/mL and/or 6 µg/L (ppb) microcystin for posting advisories and press releases – IDEM Website Postings: www.algae.in.gov – ISDH Press Releases • CEES research programs have continued to provide information to State since 2009 for posting on state website • CEES now provides information for 3 central Indiana Reservoirs and Patoka Lake (Southern Indiana) since 2010 • IDEM collaborated with CEES-IUPUI in 2010/11 and developed its own statewide monitoring program Thank you

NASA’s Aqua/MODIS Satellite – Lake Erie Jan, 15th 2012