Download Screening Microcystins in Fish from Western Washington Lakes with

Jenifer Parsons
Lizbeth Seebacher, Ph.D.
Joan Hardy, PhD
What are Blue-Green Algae?
 Bacteria, called Cyanobacteria
 Photosynthesize like plants and green algae
 Found in fresh and marine water
 Many different species
Lake Steilacoom
Aphanizomenon sp.
Microcystis sp.
Botryococcus sp.
Anabaena sp.
What causes a ‘bloom’
 Rapid reproduction = ‘bloom’ or HAB
 Many things can contribute
 Weather



Temperature
Wind
Rain
 Nutrients
 Light
 Flow
Fiorito Lake
Why They Thrive
 Nitrogen fixation – use atmospheric nitrogen
 Colony formation inhibits predation
 Carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen storage
mechanisms
 Gas vesicles for vertical migration
 Akinete formation (“spores”)
 Toxin production
About those Toxins
 Some species sometimes produce toxins (poisons)
 When toxic can cause illness or death of people, pets,
livestock and wildlife that drink the water. Can also
cause rashes on people.
Cyanobacteria & Associated Toxins
Strains produce
different toxins at
different amounts
Toxins can have
multiple variants
Toxin Group
Primary Target organ
in mammals
Cyanobacterial
genera
Microcystins
Liver
Microcystis, Anabaena,
Planktothrix (Oscillatoria),
Nostoc, Hapalosiphon,
Anabaenopsis
Nodularian
Liver
Nodularia
Anatoxin-a
Nerve Synapse
Anabaena, Planktothrix
(Oscillatoria),
Aphanizomenon
Aplysiatoxins
Skin
Lyngbya, Schizothrix,
Planktothrix (Oscillatoria)
Cylindrospermopsins
Liver
Cylindrospermopsis,
Aphanizomenon
Lyngbyatoxin-a
Skin, G.I. Tract
Lyngbya
Saxitoxins
Nerve Axons
Anabaena, Aphanizomenon,
Lyngbya, Cylindrospermopsis
Lipopolysaccharide
Potential irritant; affects any
exposed tissue
ALL
Over 80 known
microcystin variants
DOH established statewide provisional recreational
guidance values for Washington
Toxins
Guidance level
Microcystin
6 µg / L
Anatoxin-a
1 µg / L
Cylindrospermopsin
4.5 µg / L
Saxitoxin
75 µg / L
Drinking water –
• No federal standards
• WHO – 1 µg/l microcystin and cell count
levels that trigger toxin analysis
Lake MacDonald
photo credit M. Murphy
Toxin levels vary
 Within a lake and over time, even hourly
Some Signs of Poisoning
 Neurotoxins (nerve)
 Fast acting, signs appear within 15-20 min
 People – numbness of lips, tingling in fingers and toes,
dizziness
 Animals – weakness, staggering, difficulty breathing,
convulsions, death
 Hepatotoxins (liver)
 Slower, hours or days
 People – abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting
 Animals - death
What Washington is Doing
 Small program funded by boat registration fees
 Established in 2005, administered by Ecology
 ID and toxicity testing program
 Small grant program (50 k max)
 Partnership with DOH
 Algae list-serve, website
Lone Lake
Silver Lake
ID and Toxicity Testing
 Reactionary
 Partner with King County lab
 Sample analysis


Use ELISA and
HPLC-FD
 Database
Lake Ketchum
https://www.nwtoxicalgae.org/
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/coastalatlas/tools/LakeDetail.aspx
High Levels:
Microcystin
26,400 µg/l
Anatoxin-a
7,951 µg/l
Three tiered lake
management protocol
Anabaena sp.
Microcystis
Current Freshwater Algae Projects
♦ Hicklin Lake Floating Islands Installation and Water Quality
Investigation
♦ Lake Ketchum Algae Control Implementation
♦ Anatoxin-a Threat in Puget Sound Lakes – unique genetic
strain?
♦ Heart Lake Management Plan (FY2016)
♦ Fish Lake Management Plan (FY2016)
♦ Upper Joe’s Creek Watershed Nutrient Reduction (FY2016)
Contacts
Dept of Ecology:
Lizbeth Seebacher - [email protected]
Dept of Health:
Joan Hardy – [email protected]