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Advances in the aquatic sciences
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Distribution of the cyanobacterial toxins cylindrospermopsin and deoxycylindrospermopsin in a stratified lake in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia

Sally Everson A D E , Larelle Fabbro A , Susan Kinnear B , Geoff Eaglesham C and Paul Wright D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Environmental Management AHS BLG 6, CQUniversity, Rockhampton, Qld 4702, Australia.

B Institute for Sustainable Regional Development, CQUniversity, Rockhampton, Qld 4702, Australia.

C Queensland Health and Scientific Services, 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Qld 4108, Australia.

D Tweed Shire Council, Tweed Laboratory Centre, Enterprise Avenue, South Tweed Heads, NSW 2486, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: sallye@tweedlab.com.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 60(1) 25-33 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08115
Submitted: 9 April 2008  Accepted: 20 October 2008   Published: 29 January 2009

Abstract

This paper describes the vertical water column distribution of the cyanobacterial toxins cylindrospermopsin and deoxycylindrospermopsin in a water body containing the cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon ovalisporum and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. The study site was Cobaki Village Lake, a small stratified anthropogenic lake in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Water quality analysis indicated that stratification and oxygenation of the water column were significant in both the distribution of the cyanobacterial populations and their associated toxin concentrations. Toxin was distributed throughout the entire water column, but the highest concentrations were recorded in the hypolimnion. Maximum toxin concentrations were detected in February 2007 (38.2 μg L–1 cylindrospermopsin (CYN) and 42.2 μg L–1 deoxy-CYN). The relative distribution of CYN and deoxy-CYN paralleled the distribution of NH3H and NOX within the water column, with oxygenated chemical species dominating above 15 m and de-oxygenated chemical species dominating below 15 m. Cyanobacterial cell concentrations were highest in the oxic, warm and low conductivity waters of the epilimnion and cyanobacterial species succession was associated with nutrient and trace-metal depletion in this surface layer. These research findings are directly relevant to the management of water supplies affected by toxic blue-green algal blooms, particularly with respect to the considered placement of off-take devices to avoid layers of cyanobacterial cell and toxin concentrations.

Additional keywords: Aphanizomenon ovalisporum, blue-green algae, cyanobacteria, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, ecotoxicity, stratification.


Acknowledgements

Financial support for this project was provided by CQUniversity, Centre for Environmental Management, Tweed Shire Council Water Unit and Tweed Laboratory Centre. The assistance from staff at the Tweed Laboratory Centre and the Tweed Shire Council, Bray Park Water Treatment Plant is sincerely appreciated, as is the encouragement and support from the management and residents of the Cobaki Broadwater Village Park.


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