Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-1-24
pubmed:abstractText
Blooms of cyanobacteria, or blue-greens, are known to produce chemicals, such as microcystins, which can be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Although previous studies have examined the fate of microcystins in freshwater lakes, primary elimination pathways and factors affecting degradation and loss have not been fully explained. The goal of the present study was to explore sources of algal toxins and investigate the distribution and biodegradation of microcystins in water and sediment through laboratory and field analyses. Water and sediment samples were collected monthly from several locations in Lake Taihu from February 2005 to January 2006. Samples were analyzed for the presence of microcystin. Water and sediment were also used in laboratory studies to determine microcystin degradation rates by spiking environmental samples with known concentrations of the chemical and observing concentration changes over time. Some water samples were found to efficiently degrade microcystins. Microcystin concentrations dropped faster in water collected immediately above lake sediment (overlying water). Degradation in sediments was higher than in water. Based on spatial distribution analyses of microcystin in Lake Taihu, higher concentrations (relative to water concentrations) of the chemical were found in lake sediments. These data suggest that sediments play a critical role in microcystin degradation in aquatic systems. The relatively low levels of microcystins found in the environment are most likely due to bacterial biodegradation. Sediments play a crucial role as a source (to the water column) of bio-degrading bacteria and as a carbon-rich environment for bacteria to proliferate and metabolize microcystin and other biogenic toxins produced by cyanobacteria. These, and other, data provide important information that may be applied to management strategies for improvement of water quality in lakes, reservoirs and other water bodies.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0043-1354
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
42
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
763-73
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
Reduction in microcystin concentrations in large and shallow lakes: water and sediment-interface contributions.
pubmed:affiliation
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, PR China.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't