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Vejerano EP, Ahn J, Scott GI. Aerosolized algal bloom toxins are not inert. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: ATMOSPHERES 2024; 4:1113-1128. [PMID: 39169920 PMCID: PMC11331395 DOI: 10.1039/d4ea00078a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are projected to become increasingly prevalent, extending over longer periods and wider geographic regions due to the warming surface ocean water and other environmental factors, including but not limited to nutrient concentrations and runoff for marine and freshwater environments. Incidents of respiratory distress linked to the inhalation of marine aerosols containing HAB toxins have been documented, though the risk is typically associated with the original toxins. However, aerosolized toxins in micrometer and submicrometer particles are vulnerable to atmospheric processing. This processing can potentially degrade HAB toxins and produce byproducts with varying potencies compared to the parent toxins. The inhalation of aerosolized HAB toxins, especially in conjunction with co-morbid factors such as exposure to air pollutants from increased commercial activities in ports, may represent a significant exposure pathway for a considerable portion of the global population. Understanding the chemistry behind the transformation of these toxins can enhance public protection by improving the existing HAB alert systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric P Vejerano
- Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk, Department of Environmental Health Sciences USA +1-803-777-6360
| | - Jeonghyeon Ahn
- Center for Oceans and Human Health on Climate Change Interactions, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina Columbia 29208 USA
| | - Geoffrey I Scott
- Center for Oceans and Human Health on Climate Change Interactions, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina Columbia 29208 USA
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Hossain I, Mays B, Hanhart SL, Hubble J, Azizihariri P, McLean TI, Pierce R, Lovko V, John VT. An effective algaecide for the targeted destruction of Karenia brevis. HARMFUL ALGAE 2024; 138:102707. [PMID: 39244241 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2024.102707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
We address the targeted destruction of Karenia brevis using the algaecide calcium peroxide, in tandem with the flocculation and sinking of the species. The specific aspect of the approach is the incorporation of the algaecide within the floc to rapidly kill K. brevis, thus minimizing escape of cells from the floc and reentry to the water column. CaO₂ gradually produces H₂O₂, which diffuses through cell membranes and induces oxidative stress, leading to cell death via excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. The effect of varying doses of calcium peroxide on K. brevis cells was measured with pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry and indicated that doses as low as 30 mg/L when integrated into flocs are effective in suppressing photosynthesis. Cell viability assays also indicate that such low levels are sufficient to cause cell death in a 3-6 hour time period. Thus, the proposed technology involving the incorporation of calcium peroxide in a cationic flocculating agent (polyaluminum chloride, PAC) leads to an inexpensive and scalable technology to mitigate harmful algal blooms of K. brevis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Istiak Hossain
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States
| | - Briana Mays
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 City Island Park, Sarasota, FL 33577, United States
| | - Sydney L Hanhart
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - John Hubble
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States
| | - Pedram Azizihariri
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States
| | - T I McLean
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Richard Pierce
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 City Island Park, Sarasota, FL 33577, United States
| | - Vince Lovko
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 City Island Park, Sarasota, FL 33577, United States.
| | - Vijay T John
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, United States.
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3
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Chi L, Shen H, Jiang K, Cao X, Song X, Yu Z. BTXs removals by modified clay during mitigation of Karenia brevis bloom: Insights from adsorption and transformation. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 362:142668. [PMID: 38906188 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs), especially those caused by toxic dinoflagellates, are spreading in marine ecosystems worldwide. Notably, the prevalence of Karenia brevis blooms and potent brevetoxins (BTXs) pose a serious risk to public health and marine ecosystems. Therefore, developing an environmentally friendly method to effectively control HABs and associated BTXs has been the focus of increasing attention. As a promising method, modified clay (MC) application could effectively control HABs. However, the environmental fate of BTXs during MC treatment has not been fully investigated. For the first time, this study revealed the effect and mechanism of BTX removal by MC from the perspective of adsorption and transformation. The results indicated that polyaluminium chloride-modified clay (PAC-MC, a typical kind of MC) performed well in the adsorption of BTX2 due to the elevated surface potential and more binding sites. The adsorption process was a spontaneous endothermic process that conformed to pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics (k2 = 6.8 × 10-4, PAC-MC = 0.20 g L-1) and the Freundlich isotherm (Kf = 55.30, 20 °C). In addition, detailed product analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) indicated that PAC-MC treatment effectively removed the BTX2 and BTX3, especially those in the particulate forms. Surprisingly, PAC-MC could promote the transformation of BTX2 to derivatives, including OR-BTX2, OR-BTX3, and OR-BTX-B5, which were proven to have lower cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianbao Chi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266200, China
| | - Huihui Shen
- Qingdao Technical College, Qingdao, 266555, China
| | - Kaiqin Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266200, China
| | - Xihua Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266200, China
| | - Xiuxian Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266200, China.
| | - Zhiming Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, 266200, China.
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4
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Adenaya A, Quintero RR, Brinkhoff T, Lara-Martín PA, Wurl O, Ribas-Ribas M. Vertical distribution and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in southern North Sea coastal waters. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 200:116099. [PMID: 38309177 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical compounds are micropollutants of emerging concern, as well as other classes of chemicals such as UV filters and artificial sweeteners. They enter marine environments via wastewater treatment plants, aquaculture runoff, hospital effluents, and shipping activities. While many studies have investigated the presence and distribution of these pollutants in numerous coastal areas, our study is the first to focus on their occurrence, spatial distribution, and vertical distribution in the sea surface microlayer (SML) and the near-surface layer of marine environments. We analyzed 62 pharmaceutical compounds, one UV filter, and six artificial sweeteners from the SML to the corresponding underlying water (0 cm, 20 cm, 50 cm, 100 cm, and 150 cm) at four stations in the southern North Sea. One station is the enclosed Jade Bay, one is the Weser estuary at Bremerhaven, and the other two stations (NS_7 and NS_8) are in the open German Bight. Jade Bay receives pollutants from surrounding wastewater treatment plants, while the Weser estuary receives pollutants from cities like Bremerhaven, which has dense populations and industrial activities. Concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds were higher in the upper water layers (from the SML to 20 cm). Eleven pharmaceutical compounds (caffeine, carbamazepine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, metoprolol, salicylic acid, clarithromycin, novobiocin, clindamycin, trimethoprim, and tylosin) were detected in >95 % of our samples. One UV filter (benzophenone-4) was found in 83 % and three artificial sweeteners (acesulfame, saccharin, and sucralose) in 100 % of all our samples. All artificial sweeteners posed high risks to the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia magna. Understanding the spatial and vertical distribution of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in marine environments may be essential in assessing their dispersal and detection in other aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adenike Adenaya
- Center for Marine Sensors (ZfMarS), Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany; Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Ruben Rios Quintero
- Physical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, CEI·MAR, Cádiz 11510, Spain
| | - Thorsten Brinkhoff
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Pablo A Lara-Martín
- Physical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, CEI·MAR, Cádiz 11510, Spain
| | - Oliver Wurl
- Center for Marine Sensors (ZfMarS), Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Mariana Ribas-Ribas
- Center for Marine Sensors (ZfMarS), Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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Roy CJ. Aerobiology-A New Open Access Journal. AEROBIOLOGY 2023; 1:1-2. [PMID: 37662559 PMCID: PMC10471951 DOI: 10.3390/aerobiology1010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
It is simultaneously professionally humbling and an absolute pleasure to be associated with the launch of a new open access journal, with added emphasis in a scientific field as rich and diverse as aerobiology [...]
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad J Roy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
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Reif JS, Stockley N, Harvey K, McFarland M, Gordon SC, Schaefer AM. Symptom frequency and exposure to a cyanobacteria bloom in Florida. HARMFUL ALGAE 2023; 129:102526. [PMID: 37951612 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
This investigation was undertaken to characterize health effects associated with a major bloom of blue-green algae due to the proliferation Microcystis aeruginosa that occurred in Florida in 2018. Cyanobacteria produce multiple toxins, including the potent hepatotoxic microcystins (MCs), that have been reported to cause illness in exposed persons worldwide. Widespread exposure to toxins released by blue-green algae during the 2018 bloom was shown by the presence of MCs in the nasal passages of 95 percent of the individuals studied previously in south Florida (Schaefer et al., 2020). The current analyses were conducted to determine whether self-reported symptoms were associated with activity patterns, direct contact with water, residential, recreational, and occupational exposure. The 125 persons who participated in the initial study reported an average of 4.94 (± 4.87) symptoms. Those reported most commonly included rhinorrhea, sneezing, headache, sore throat and dry cough. Respiratory symptoms were reported by 74%, ocular symptoms by 62%, and gastrointestinal symptoms by 35% of respondents. Residential and recreational exposures were associated with increased risks of respiratory, gastrointestinal, or ocular symptoms in univariate and adjusted multivariable analyses. Residential exposure was significantly associated with increased reporting of dry cough (p = 0.03), dyspnea (p < 0.01) and wheezy respirations (p = 0.04). Among persons reporting gastrointestinal symptoms, nausea (p = 0.02) and abdominal pain (p < 0.01) were significantly associated with residential exposure. Recreational exposure was significantly associated with sore throat and eye irritation. The findings add to the evidence that exposure to cyanobacteria at concentrations encountered during an algal bloom is associated with a diverse array of symptoms and that inhalation of aerosols constitutes an important exposure pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Reif
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, 1681 Campus, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, United States.
| | - Nicole Stockley
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, 5600U.S. 1N, Ft Pierce, FL 34946, United States
| | - Kathi Harvey
- Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, United States
| | - Malcolm McFarland
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, 5600U.S. 1N, Ft Pierce, FL 34946, United States
| | - Shirley C Gordon
- Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, United States
| | - Adam M Schaefer
- Abt Associates, 6130 Executive Blvd Rockville, MD, 20852, United States
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7
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Pinto A, Botelho MJ, Churro C, Asselman J, Pereira P, Pereira JL. A review on aquatic toxins - Do we really know it all regarding the environmental risk posed by phytoplankton neurotoxins? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118769. [PMID: 37597370 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic toxins are potent natural toxins produced by certain cyanobacteria and marine algae species during harmful cyanobacterial and algal blooms (CyanoHABs and HABs, respectively). These harmful bloom events and the toxins produced during these events are a human and environmental health concern worldwide, with occurrence, frequency and severity of CyanoHABs and HABs being predicted to keep increasing due to ongoing climate change scenarios. These contexts, as well as human health consequences of some toxins produced during bloom events have been thoroughly reviewed before. Conversely, the wider picture that includes the non-human biota in the assessment of noxious effects of toxins is much less covered in the literature and barely covered by review works. Despite direct human exposure to aquatic toxins and related deleterious effects being responsible for the majority of the public attention to the blooms' problematic, it constitutes a very limited fraction of the real environmental risk posed by these toxins. The disruption of ecological and trophic interactions caused by these toxins in the aquatic biota building on deleterious effects they may induce in different species is paramount as a modulator of the overall magnitude of the environmental risk potentially involved, thus necessarily constraining the quality and efficiency of the management strategies that should be placed. In this way, this review aims at updating and consolidating current knowledge regarding the adverse effects of aquatic toxins, attempting to going beyond their main toxicity pathways in human and related models' health, i.e., also focusing on ecologically relevant model organisms. For conciseness and considering the severity in terms of documented human health risks as a reference, we restricted the detailed revision work to neurotoxic cyanotoxins and marine toxins. This comprehensive revision of the systemic effects of aquatic neurotoxins provides a broad overview of the exposure and the hazard that these compounds pose to human and environmental health. Regulatory approaches they are given worldwide, as well as (eco)toxicity data available were hence thoroughly reviewed. Critical research gaps were identified particularly regarding (i) the toxic effects other than those typical of the recognized disease/disorder each toxin causes following acute exposure in humans and also in other biota; and (ii) alternative detection tools capable of being early-warning signals for aquatic toxins occurrence and therefore provide better human and environmental safety insurance. Future directions on aquatic toxins research are discussed in face of the existent knowledge, with particular emphasis on the much-needed development and implementation of effective alternative (eco)toxicological biomarkers for these toxins. The wide-spanning approach followed herein will hopefully stimulate future research more broadly addressing the environmental hazardous potential of aquatic toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albano Pinto
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Maria João Botelho
- IPMA, Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165, Algés, Portugal; CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Catarina Churro
- IPMA, Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere, Av. Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165, Algés, Portugal; CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Patrícia Pereira
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana Luísa Pereira
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal
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Abassi S, Kim HS, Bui QTN, Ki JS. Effects of nitrate on the saxitoxins biosynthesis revealed by sxt genes in the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum (group IV). HARMFUL ALGAE 2023; 127:102473. [PMID: 37544673 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum (group IV) is of particular interest because of its involvement in harmful algal blooms and production of saxitoxin (STX), which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning. The toxicity from STX and its analogues (STXs) is suspected to be affected by nitrogen (N) availability. However, the toxicity-associated behavior and STX-biosynthesis gene responses of the toxic A. pacificum under N fluctuations have not been sufficiently investigated. In the present study, we identified the sxtI gene involved in sxt biosynthesis pathway and evaluated the effects of nitrate (NO3-) on STXs production and the expression of four sxt core genes (sxtA4, sxtG, sxtB, and sxtI). Quantification of total STXs levels in the cultures under different NO3- regimes showed that NO3- concentration influenced STXs production. In addition, the proportion and concentration of STXs varied depending on the NO3- concentration. Core sxt transcript abundance was also influenced by available NO3- in a time-dependent manner. Expressional levels and patterns of sxtI were correlated with those of sxtA and sxtB. The relationship between the toxins and sxt responses in A. pacificum under various NO3- regimes suggests the direct involvement of N in the STXs biosynthesis pathway. Understanding this link would provide a tool to understand the toxin dynamics of dinoflagellates following N shifts in marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Abassi
- Department of Biotechnology, Sangmyung University, Seoul, 03016, Republic of Korea
| | - Han-Sol Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Sangmyung University, Seoul, 03016, Republic of Korea
| | - Quynh Thi Nhu Bui
- Department of Biotechnology, Sangmyung University, Seoul, 03016, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang-Seu Ki
- Department of Biotechnology, Sangmyung University, Seoul, 03016, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Lim CC, Yoon J, Reynolds K, Gerald LB, Ault AP, Heo S, Bell ML. Harmful algal bloom aerosols and human health. EBioMedicine 2023; 93:104604. [PMID: 37164781 PMCID: PMC10363441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing across many locations globally. Toxins from HABs can be incorporated into aerosols and transported inland, where subsequent exposure and inhalation can induce adverse health effects. However, the relationship between HAB aerosols and health outcomes remains unclear despite the potential for population-level exposures. In this review, we synthesized the current state of knowledge and identified evidence gaps in the relationship between HAB aerosols and human health. Aerosols from Karenia brevis, Ostreopsis sp., and cyanobacteria were linked with respiratory outcomes. However, most works did not directly measure aerosol or toxin concentrations and instead relied on proxy metrics of exposure, such as cell concentrations in nearby waterbodies. Furthermore, the number of studies with epidemiological designs was limited. Significant uncertainties remain regarding the health effects of other HAB species; threshold dose and the dose-response relationship; effects of concurrent exposures to mixtures of toxins and other aerosol sources, such as microplastics and metals; the impact of long-term exposures; and disparities in exposures and associated health effects across potentially vulnerable subpopulations. Additional studies employing multifaceted exposure assessment methods and leveraging large health databases could address such gaps and improve our understanding of the public health burden of HABs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris C Lim
- Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
| | - Jeonggyo Yoon
- Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Kelly Reynolds
- Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Lynn B Gerald
- Population Health Sciences Program, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew P Ault
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Seulkee Heo
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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10
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Dietrich J, Hammerl JA, Johne A, Kappenstein O, Loeffler C, Nöckler K, Rosner B, Spielmeyer A, Szabo I, Richter MH. Impact of climate change on foodborne infections and intoxications. JOURNAL OF HEALTH MONITORING 2023; 8:78-92. [PMID: 37342431 PMCID: PMC10278375 DOI: 10.25646/11403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Background Temperature, precipitation, and humidity are important factors that can influence the spread, reproduction, and survival of pathogens. Climate change affects these factors, resulting in higher air and water temperatures, increased precipitation, or water scarcity. Climate change may thus have an increasing impact on many infectious diseases. Methods The present review considers those foodborne pathogens and toxins in animal and plant foods that are most relevant in Germany, on the basis of a selective literature review: the bacterial pathogens of the genera Salmonella, Campylobacter and Vibrio, parasites of the genera Cryptosporidium and Giardia, and marine biotoxins. Results As climate change continues to progress, all infections and intoxications discussed here can be expected to increase in Germany. Conclusions The expected increase in foodborne infections and intoxications presents a growing public health risk in Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dietrich
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Safety in the Food Chain Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens-Andre Hammerl
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Biological Safety Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Johne
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Biological Safety Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Kappenstein
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Safety in the Food Chain Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher Loeffler
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Safety in the Food Chain Berlin, Germany
| | - Karsten Nöckler
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Biological Safety Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Rosner
- Robert Koch Institute Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Berlin, Germany
| | - Astrid Spielmeyer
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Safety in the Food Chain Berlin, Germany
| | - Istvan Szabo
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Biological Safety Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin H. Richter
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Department for Biological Safety Berlin, Germany
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11
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Kurtz BE, Landmeyer JE, Culter JK. Precipitation, submarine groundwater discharge of nitrogen, and red tides along the southwest Florida Gulf coast. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16046. [PMID: 37215903 PMCID: PMC10196494 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Blooms of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis occur almost every year along the southwest Florida Gulf coast. Long-duration blooms with especially high concentrations of K. brevis, known as red tides, destroy marine life through production of neurotoxins. Current hypotheses are that red tides originate in oligotrophic waters far offshore using nitrogen (N) from upwelling bottom water or, alternatively, from blooms of Trichodesmium, followed by advection to nearshore waters. But the amount of N available from terrestrial sources does not appear to be adequate to maintain a nearshore red tide. To explain this discrepancy, we hypothesize that contemporary red tides are associated with release of N from offshore submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) that has accumulated in benthic sediment biomass by dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). The release occurs when sediment labile organic carbon (LOC), used as the electron donor in DNRA, is exhausted. Detritus from the resulting destruction of marine life restores the sediment LOC to continue the cycle of red tides. The severity of individual red tides increases with increased bloom-year precipitation in the geographic region where the SGD originates, while the severity of ordinary blooms is relatively unaffected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce E. Kurtz
- New College of Florida, 5800 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
| | | | - James K. Culter
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
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12
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Pendergraft MA, Belda-Ferre P, Petras D, Morris CK, Mitts BA, Aron AT, Bryant M, Schwartz T, Ackermann G, Humphrey G, Kaandorp E, Dorrestein PC, Knight R, Prather KA. Bacterial and Chemical Evidence of Coastal Water Pollution from the Tijuana River in Sea Spray Aerosol. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:4071-4081. [PMID: 36862087 PMCID: PMC10018732 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Roughly half of the human population lives near the coast, and coastal water pollution (CWP) is widespread. Coastal waters along Tijuana, Mexico, and Imperial Beach (IB), USA, are frequently polluted by millions of gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater runoff. Entering coastal waters causes over 100 million global annual illnesses, but CWP has the potential to reach many more people on land via transfer in sea spray aerosol (SSA). Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we found sewage-associated bacteria in the polluted Tijuana River flowing into coastal waters and returning to land in marine aerosol. Tentative chemical identification from non-targeted tandem mass spectrometry identified anthropogenic compounds as chemical indicators of aerosolized CWP, but they were ubiquitous and present at highest concentrations in continental aerosol. Bacteria were better tracers of airborne CWP, and 40 tracer bacteria comprised up to 76% of the bacteria community in IB air. These findings confirm that CWP transfers in SSA and exposes many people along the coast. Climate change may exacerbate CWP with more extreme storms, and our findings call for minimizing CWP and investigating the health effects of airborne exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Pendergraft
- Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Daniel Petras
- Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Collaborative
Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- CMFI
Cluster of Excellence, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and
Medicine, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen 72076, Germany
| | - Clare K. Morris
- Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Brock A. Mitts
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Allegra T. Aron
- Collaborative
Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United
States
| | - MacKenzie Bryant
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Tara Schwartz
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Gail Ackermann
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Greg Humphrey
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Ethan Kaandorp
- Independent
Researcher, Darwin, California 93522, United States
| | - Pieter C. Dorrestein
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Collaborative
Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Center
for Microbiome Innovation, University of
California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Rob Knight
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Center
for Microbiome Innovation, University of
California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
- Department
of Computer Sciences and Engineering, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Kimberly A. Prather
- Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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13
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Hu J, Berthold DE, Wang Y, Xiao X, Laughinghouse HD. Treatment of the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis and brevetoxins using USEPA-registered algaecides. HARMFUL ALGAE 2022; 120:102347. [PMID: 36470610 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2022.102347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The effectiveness of USEPA-registered algaecides for managing algae in lakes and reservoirs has been extensively evaluated in laboratory studies, mesocosm studies and in situ treatment. However, the use of these algaecides in marine environments for the management of dinoflagellates and associated toxins remains largely unknown. Karenia brevis is a toxic dinoflagellate that causes red tides in the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of six USEPA-registered algaecides, three copper-based and three peroxide-based, on treating toxic K. brevis with a natural bloom density (1.79 × 107 cells/L). Our results indicate that the application of as low as 0.31-0.34 mg Cu/L led to a significant decrease of K. brevis cells within 24 h after treatment, while peroxide-based algaecides required a relatively higher concentration for the effective removal of K. brevis cells (4.89-7.08 mg H2O2/L), but still lower than maximum label rate. Total brevetoxin levels 72 h after treatment revealed that 1.00 mg Cu/L for Algimycin® PWF, 6.48 mg H2O2/L for PAK® 27 and 7.08 mg H2O2/L for Oximycin® P5 had the greatest impact on decreasing toxin levels. The correlation analysis showed that brevetoxin reduction rate was significantly positively related with the peroxide-based algaecide exposure concentration, which is caused by the oxidation of hydroxyl radicals produced by hydrogen peroxide. The degradation dynamics of the three peroxide-based algaecides revealed that salinity, microorganisms and organic matter (≥ 0.2 μm) impact the stability of hydrogen peroxide, and Oximycin® P5 showed the highest stability among tested peroxide-based algaecides with a degradation rate of 0.467 mg/d in natural seawater. Hence, our laboratory work provided new insights into potential emergency treatment methods for immediate mitigation of K. brevis and brevetoxins. More work on the fate and persistence of algaecide active ingredients and phycotoxins, effects of site characteristics, and pilot studies on marine non-targets are still needed before safe application of this method for HABs in marine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hu
- Agronomy Department, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida / IFAS, Davie, FL 33314, United States; Department of Marine Science, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China
| | - David E Berthold
- Agronomy Department, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida / IFAS, Davie, FL 33314, United States
| | - Yi Wang
- Agronomy Department, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida / IFAS, Davie, FL 33314, United States
| | - Xi Xiao
- Department of Marine Science, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China
| | - H Dail Laughinghouse
- Agronomy Department, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida / IFAS, Davie, FL 33314, United States.
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14
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Javaruski J, Adhikari PL, Muller J, Parsons ML. Preservation of brevetoxins in Southwest Florida coastal sediments. HARMFUL ALGAE 2022; 114:102222. [PMID: 35550300 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2022.102222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Florida red tide is a natural phenomenon caused by the dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. Karenia brevis blooms produce potent toxins (brevetoxins) that can cause neurotoxic and respiratory illness in humans and marine life. Red tides were recorded by Spanish explorers as early as the 17th century, however published red tide studies before 1940 are unavailable. Recent studies have suggested that red tide events may be becoming more frequent, intense, and longer lasting, which may be linked to modern land development and changing water quality. While the scientific record of modern red tides is relatively short, the distributions and concentrations of chemical biomarkers (e.g., brevetoxins produced by K. brevis) in coastal-marine sediments can potentially be used to study historic red tides. This study aims to quantify the concentration and vertical distribution of brevetoxins in coastal Southwest Florida (SWFL) sediment cores in order to determine if downcore brevetoxins may potentially be used to reconstruct historic red tide events. Sediment samples were radiometrically dated using 210Pb and subsamples were analyzed utilizing liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for brevetoxin congeners, namely, PbTx-1, PbTx-2, PbTx-3, and PbTx-5. The 210Pb-dated sediment cores represent ∼60-80 years of brevetoxin accumulation and total brevetoxin (ΣPbTx) concentrations in sediment cores varied from below detection limits to 25.3 ng g - 1 of dry sediments. Highest concentrations were found in surficial sediments (top 0-3 cm) and may indicate brevetoxin preservation from the 2017-2019 red-tide event. The down-core preservation and variability of brevetoxin indicate its potential use as a chemical biomarker to assess long-term red tide intensities and frequencies. This research is a first step towards reconstructing historic red tide events from sedimentary chemical biomarkers and may allow for future assessment of the human impacts on red tide frequency, intensity and duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Javaruski
- The Water School, Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965 United States
| | - Puspa L Adhikari
- The Water School, Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965 United States.
| | - Joanne Muller
- The Water School, Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965 United States
| | - Michael L Parsons
- The Water School, Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL 33965 United States
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15
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Sem K, Jang M, Pierce R, Blum P, Yu Z. Characterization of Atmospheric Processes of Brevetoxins in Sea Spray Aerosols from Red Tide Events. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:1811-1819. [PMID: 35050617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric processes can affect the longevity of harmful toxins in sea spray aerosols (SSA). This study characterized the degradation of brevetoxin (BTx) in SSA under different environmental conditions. The samples of seawater collected during a Karenia brevis bloom in Manasota, Florida, were nebulized into a large outdoor photochemical chamber to mimic the atmospheric oxidation of aerosolized toxins and then aged in the presence or absence of sunlight and/or O3. Aerosol samples were collected during the aging process using a Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler. Their BTx concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy. The BTx ozonolysis rate constant measured by ELISA was 5.74 ± 0.21 × 103 M-1 s-1. The corresponding lifetime for decay of 87.5% BTx in the presence of 20 ppb of O3 was 7.08 ± 0.26 h, suggesting that aerosolized BTx can still travel long distances at night before SSA deposition. BTx concentrations in SSA decreased more rapidly in the presence of sunlight than in its absence due to oxidation with photochemically produced OH radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Sem
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116450, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Myoseon Jang
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116450, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Richard Pierce
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34326, United States
| | - Patricia Blum
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34326, United States
| | - Zechen Yu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116450, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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16
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Annunziato M, Eeza MNH, Bashirova N, Lawson A, Matysik J, Benetti D, Grosell M, Stieglitz JD, Alia A, Berry JP. An integrated systems-level model of the toxicity of brevetoxin based on high-resolution magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HRMAS NMR) metabolic profiling of zebrafish embryos. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:149858. [PMID: 34482148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Brevetoxins (PbTx) are a well-recognized group of neurotoxins associated with harmful algal blooms, and specifically recurrent "Florida Red Tides," in marine waters that are linked to impacts on both human and ecosystem health including well-documented "fish kills" and marine mammal mortalities in affected coastal waters. Understanding mechanisms and pathways of PbTx toxicity enables identification of relevant biomarkers to better understand these environmental impacts, and improve monitoring efforts, in relation to this toxin. Toward a systems-level understanding of toxicity, and identification of potential biomarkers, high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HRMAS NMR) was utilized for metabolic profiling of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, as an established toxicological model, exposed to PbTx-2 (the most common congener in marine waters). Metabolomics studies were, furthermore, complemented by an assessment of the toxicity of PbTx-2 in embryonic stages of zebrafish and mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), the latter representing an ecologically and geographically relevant marine species of fish, which identified acute embryotoxicity at environmentally relevant (i.e., parts-per-billion) concentrations in both species. HRMAS NMR analysis of intact zebrafish embryos exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of PbTx-2 afforded well-resolved spectra, and in turn, identification of 38 metabolites of which 28 were found to be significantly altered, relative to controls. Metabolites altered by PbTx-2 exposure specifically included those associated with (1) neuronal excitotoxicity, as well as associated neural homeostasis, and (2) interrelated pathways of carbohydrate and energy metabolism. Metabolomics studies, thereby, enabled a systems-level model of PbTx toxicity which integrated multiple metabolic, molecular and cellular pathways, in relation to environmentally relevant concentrations of the toxin, providing insight to not only targets and mechanisms, but potential biomarkers pertinent to environmental risk assessment and monitoring strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Annunziato
- Institute of Environment, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Muhamed N H Eeza
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Narmin Bashirova
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ariel Lawson
- Institute of Environment, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Jörg Matysik
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Benetti
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Martin Grosell
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - John D Stieglitz
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - A Alia
- Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, 2333 Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - John P Berry
- Institute of Environment, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA; Biomolecular Science Institute, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
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17
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Monitoring the Emergence of Algal Toxins in Shellfish: First Report on Detection of Brevetoxins in French Mediterranean Mussels. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19070393. [PMID: 34356818 PMCID: PMC8305566 DOI: 10.3390/md19070393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In France, four groups of lipophilic toxins are currently regulated: okadaic acid/dinophysistoxins, pectenotoxins, yessotoxins and azaspiracids. However, many other families of toxins exist, which can be emerging toxins. Emerging toxins include both toxins recently detected in a specific area of France but not regulated yet (e.g., cyclic imines, ovatoxins) or toxins only detected outside of France (e.g., brevetoxins). To anticipate the introduction to France of these emerging toxins, a monitoring program called EMERGTOX was set up along the French coasts in 2018. The single-laboratory validation of this approach was performed according to the NF V03-110 guidelines by building an accuracy profile. Our specific, reliable and sensitive approach allowed us to detect brevetoxins (BTX-2 and/or BTX-3) in addition to the lipophilic toxins already regulated in France. Brevetoxins were detected for the first time in French Mediterranean mussels (Diana Lagoon, Corsica) in autumn 2018, and regularly every year since during the same seasons (autumn, winter). The maximum content found was 345 µg (BTX-2 + BTX-3)/kg in mussel digestive glands in November 2020. None were detected in oysters sampled at the same site. In addition, a retroactive analysis of preserved mussels demonstrated the presence of BTX-3 in mussels from the same site sampled in November 2015. The detection of BTX could be related to the presence in situ at the same period of four Karenia species and two raphidophytes, which all could be potential producers of these toxins. Further investigations are necessary to understand the origin of these toxins.
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18
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Heil CA, Muni-Morgan AL. Florida’s Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Problem: Escalating Risks to Human, Environmental and Economic Health With Climate Change. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.646080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) pose unique risks to the citizens, stakeholders, visitors, environment and economy of the state of Florida. Florida has been historically subjected to reoccurring blooms of the toxic marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (C. C. Davis) G. Hansen & Moestrup since at least first contact with explorers in the 1500’s. However, ongoing immigration of more than 100,000 people year–1 into the state, elevated population densities in coastal areas with attendant rapid, often unregulated development, coastal eutrophication, and climate change impacts (e.g., increasing hurricane severity, increases in water temperature, ocean acidification and sea level rise) has likely increased the occurrence of other HABs, both freshwater and marine, within the state as well as the number of people impacted by these blooms. Currently, over 75 freshwater, estuarine, coastal and marine HAB species are routinely monitored by state agencies. While only blooms of K. brevis, the dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense (Böhm) Steidinger, Tester, and Taylor and the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. have resulted in closure of commercial shellfish beds, other HAB species, including freshwater and marine cyanobacteria, pose either imminent or unknown risks to human, environmental and economic health. HAB related human health risks can be classified into those related to consumption of contaminated shellfish and finfish, consumption of or contact with bloom or toxin contaminated water or exposure to aerosolized HAB toxins. While acute human illnesses resulting from consumption of brevetoxin-, saxitoxin-, and domoic acid-contaminated commercial shellfish have been minimized by effective monitoring and regulation, illnesses due to unregulated toxin exposures, e.g., ciguatoxins and cyanotoxins, are not well documented or understood. Aerosolized HAB toxins potentially impact the largest number of people within Florida. While short-term (days to weeks) impacts of aerosolized brevetoxin exposure are well documented (e.g., decreased respiratory function for at-risk subgroups such as asthmatics), little is known of longer term (>1 month) impacts of exposure or the risks posed by aerosolized cyanotoxin [e.g., microcystin, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)] exposure. Environmental risks of K. brevis blooms are the best studied of Florida HABs and include acute exposure impacts such as significant dies-offs of fish, marine mammals, seabirds and turtles, as well as negative impacts on larval and juvenile stages of many biota. When K. brevis blooms are present, brevetoxins can be found throughout the water column and are widespread in both pelagic and benthic biota. The presence of brevetoxins in living tissue of both fish and marine mammals suggests that food web transfer of these toxins is occurring, resulting in toxin transport beyond the spatial and temporal range of the bloom such that impacts of these toxins may occur in areas not regularly subjected to blooms. Climate change impacts, including temperature effects on cell metabolism, shifting ocean circulation patterns and changes in HAB species range and bloom duration, may exacerbate these dynamics. Secondary HAB related environmental impacts are also possible due to hypoxia and anoxia resulting from elevated bloom biomass and/or the decomposition of HAB related mortalities. Economic risks related to HABs in Florida are diverse and impact multiple stakeholder groups. Direct costs related to human health impacts (e.g., increased hospital visits) as well as recreational and commercial fisheries can be significant, especially with wide-spread sustained HABs. Recreational and tourism-based industries which sustain a significant portion of Florida’s economy are especially vulnerable to both direct (e.g., declines in coastal hotel occupancy rates and restaurant and recreational users) and indirect (e.g., negative publicity impacts, associated job losses) impacts from HABs. While risks related to K. brevis blooms are established, Florida also remains susceptible to future HABs due to large scale freshwater management practices, degrading water quality, potential transport of HABs between freshwater and marine systems and the state’s vulnerability to climate change impacts.
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19
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Pendergraft MA, Grimes DJ, Giddings SN, Feddersen F, Beall CM, Lee C, Santander MV, Prather KA. Airborne transmission pathway for coastal water pollution. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11358. [PMID: 34164231 PMCID: PMC8191489 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Each year, over one hundred million people become ill and tens of thousands die from exposure to viruses and bacteria from sewage transported to the ocean by rivers, estuaries, stormwater, and other coastal discharges. Water activities and seafood consumption have been emphasized as the major exposure pathways to coastal water pollution. In contrast, relatively little is known about the potential for airborne exposure to pollutants and pathogens from contaminated seawater. The Cross Surfzone/Inner-shelf Dye Exchange (CSIDE) study was a large-scale experiment designed to investigate the transport pathways of water pollution along the coast by releasing dye into the surfzone in Imperial Beach, CA. Additionally, we leveraged this ocean-focused study to investigate potential airborne transmission of coastal water pollution by collecting complementary air samples along the coast and inland. Aerial measurements tracked sea surface dye concentrations along 5+ km of coast at 2 m × 2 m resolution. Dye was detected in the air over land for the first 2 days during two of the three dye releases, as far as 668 m inland and 720 m downwind of the ocean. These coordinated water/air measurements, comparing dye concentrations in the air and upwind source waters, provide insights into the factors that lead to the water-to-air transfer of pollutants. These findings show that coastal water pollution can reach people through an airborne pathway and this needs to be taken into account when assessing the full impact of coastal ocean pollution on public health. This study sets the stage for further studies to determine the details and importance of airborne exposure to sewage-based pathogens and toxins in order to fully assess the impact of coastal pollution on public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Pendergraft
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Derek J Grimes
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Sarah N Giddings
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Falk Feddersen
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Charlotte M Beall
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher Lee
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Mitchell V Santander
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
| | - Kimberly A Prather
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
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20
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Van Acker E, Huysman S, De Rijcke M, Asselman J, De Schamphelaere KAC, Vanhaecke L, Janssen CR. Phycotoxin-Enriched Sea Spray Aerosols: Methods, Mechanisms, and Human Exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:6184-6196. [PMID: 33843191 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To date, few studies have examined the role of sea spray aerosols (SSAs) in human exposure to harmful and beneficial marine compounds. Two groups of phycotoxins (brevetoxins and ovatoxins) have been reported to induce respiratory syndromes during harmful algal blooms. The aerosolization and coastal air concentrations of other common marine phycotoxins have, however, never been examined. This study provides the first (experimental) evidence and characterization of the aerosolization of okadaic acid (OA), homoyessotoxin, and dinophysistoxin-1 using seawater spiked with toxic algae combined with the realistic SSA production in a marine aerosol reference tank (MART). The potential for aerosolization of these phycotoxins was highlighted by their 78- to 1769-fold enrichment in SSAs relative to the subsurface water. To obtain and support these results, we first developed an analytical method for the determination of phycotoxin concentrations in SSAs, which showed good linearity (R2 > 0.99), recovery (85.3-101.8%), and precision (RSDs ≤ 17.2%). We also investigated natural phycotoxin air concentrations by means of in situ SSA sampling with concurrent aerosolization experiments using natural seawater in the MART. This approach allowed us to indirectly quantify the (harmless) magnitude of OA concentrations (0.6-51 pg m-3) in Belgium's coastal air. Overall, this study provides new insights into the enriched aerosolization of marine compounds and proposes a framework to assess their airborne exposure and effects on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Van Acker
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steve Huysman
- Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Campus Merelbeke, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Maarten De Rijcke
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Campus Oostende, Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Karel A C De Schamphelaere
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lynn Vanhaecke
- Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Campus Merelbeke, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
- Queen's University Belfast, School of Biological Sciences, Lisburn Road 97, BT7 1NN Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Campus Oostende, Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
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21
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Algal Toxic Compounds and Their Aeroterrestrial, Airborne and other Extremophilic Producers with Attention to Soil and Plant Contamination: A Review. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13050322. [PMID: 33946968 PMCID: PMC8145420 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13050322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The review summarizes the available knowledge on toxins and their producers from rather disparate algal assemblages of aeroterrestrial, airborne and other versatile extreme environments (hot springs, deserts, ice, snow, caves, etc.) and on phycotoxins as contaminants of emergent concern in soil and plants. There is a growing body of evidence that algal toxins and their producers occur in all general types of extreme habitats, and cyanobacteria/cyanoprokaryotes dominate in most of them. Altogether, 55 toxigenic algal genera (47 cyanoprokaryotes) were enlisted, and our analysis showed that besides the “standard” toxins, routinely known from different waterbodies (microcystins, nodularins, anatoxins, saxitoxins, cylindrospermopsins, BMAA, etc.), they can produce some specific toxic compounds. Whether the toxic biomolecules are related with the harsh conditions on which algae have to thrive and what is their functional role may be answered by future studies. Therefore, we outline the gaps in knowledge and provide ideas for further research, considering, from one side, the health risk from phycotoxins on the background of the global warming and eutrophication and, from the other side, the current surge of interest which phycotoxins provoke due to their potential as novel compounds in medicine, pharmacy, cosmetics, bioremediation, agriculture and all aspects of biotechnological implications in human life.
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22
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Cunningham BR, Coleman RM, Schaefer AM, Hamelin EI, Johnson RC. Detection of Brevetoxin in Human Plasma by ELISA. J Anal Toxicol 2021; 46:322-327. [PMID: 33515246 PMCID: PMC8679180 DOI: 10.1093/jat/bkab010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Florida red tides have become more common and persistent in and around the Gulf of Mexico. When in bloom, red tides can produce brevetoxins in high concentrations, leading to human exposures primarily through contaminated food and ocean spray. The research described here includes adapting and validating a commercial brevetoxin water test kit for human plasma testing. Pooled plasma was fortified with a model brevetoxin, brevetoxin 3, at concentrations from 0.00500 to 3.00 ng/mL to generate calibration curves and quality control samples. The quantitative detection range was determined to be 0.0400–2.00 ng/mL brevetoxin 3 equivalents with inter- and intraday accuracies ranging from 94.0% to 109% and relative standard deviations <20%, which is within the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for receptor-binding assays. Additionally, cross-reactivity was tested using 4 of the 10 known brevetoxins and 12 paralytic shellfish toxins. The cross-reactivity varied from 0.173% to 144% for the commercially available brevetoxin standards and 0% for the commercially available paralytic shellfish toxin standards. Fifty individual unexposed human plasma samples were measured to determine the limit of detection and endogenous interferences to the test. The validated method was used to test 31 plasma samples collected from humans potentially exposed to brevetoxins, detecting 11 positives. This method has been proven useful to measure human exposure to brevetoxins and can be applied to future exposure events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady R. Cunningham
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Rebecca M. Coleman
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Adam M. Schaefer
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Ft. Pierce, FL 34946, USA
| | - Elizabeth I. Hamelin
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
| | - Rudolph C. Johnson
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
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23
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Patin NV, Brown E, Chebli G, Garfield C, Kubanek J, Stewart FJ. Microbial and chemical dynamics of a toxic dinoflagellate bloom. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9493. [PMID: 33240577 PMCID: PMC7676380 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) exert considerable ecological and economic damage and are becoming increasingly frequent worldwide. However, the biological factors underlying HABs remain uncertain. Relationships between algae and bacteria may contribute to bloom formation, strength, and duration. We investigated the microbial communities and metabolomes associated with a HAB of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis off the west coast of Florida in June 2018. Microbial communities and intracellular metabolite pools differed based on both bacterial lifestyle and bloom level, suggesting a complex role for blooms in reshaping microbial processes. Network analysis identified K. brevis as an ecological hub in the planktonic ecosystem, with significant connections to diverse microbial taxa. These included four flavobacteria and one sequence variant unidentified past the domain level, suggesting uncharacterized diversity in phytoplankton-associated microbial communities. Additionally, intracellular metabolomic analyses associated high K. brevis levels with higher levels of aromatic compounds and lipids. These findings reveal water column microbial and chemical characteristics with potentially important implications for understanding HAB onset and duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastassia V Patin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.,Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Emily Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Gabriella Chebli
- Department of Chemistry, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, United States of America
| | - Claire Garfield
- School of Arts and Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Julia Kubanek
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.,Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.,School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Frank J Stewart
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.,Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
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24
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Olson NE, Cooke ME, Shi JH, Birbeck JA, Westrick JA, Ault AP. Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Aerosol Generated from Inland Lake Water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:4769-4780. [PMID: 32186187 PMCID: PMC11406200 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b07727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by cyanobacteria in freshwater environments produce toxins (e.g., microcystin) that are harmful to human and animal health. HAB frequency and intensity are increasing with greater nutrient runoff and a warming climate. Lake spray aerosol (LSA) released from freshwater lakes has been identified on lakeshores and after transport inland, including from lakes with HABs, but little is known about the potential for HAB toxins to be incorporated into LSA. In this study, freshwater samples were collected from two lakes in Michigan: Mona Lake during a severe HAB with microcystin concentrations (>200 μg/L) well above the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended "do not drink" level (1.6 μg/L) and Muskegon Lake without a HAB (<1 μg/L microcystin). Microcystin toxins were identified in freshwater, as well as aerosol particles generated in the laboratory from Mona Lake water by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) at atmospheric concentrations up to 50 ± 20 ng/m3. Enrichment of hydrophobic microcystin congeners (e.g., microcystin-LR) was observed in aerosol particles relative to bulk freshwater, while enrichment of hydrophilic microcystin (e.g., microcystin-RR) was lower. As HABs increase in a warming climate, understanding and quantifying the emissions of toxins into the atmosphere is crucial for evaluating the health consequences of HABs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Olson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Madeline E Cooke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Jia H Shi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Johnna A Birbeck
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States
| | - Judy A Westrick
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States
| | - Andrew P Ault
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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25
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Fire SE, Miller GA, Wells RS. Explosive exhalations by common bottlenose dolphins during Karenia brevis red tides. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03525. [PMID: 32181395 PMCID: PMC7063161 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) such as those produced by Karenia brevis have acute negative impacts on common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Florida coastal waters, frequently causing illness and death. However, much less is known about chronic, sub-acute effects on these important sentinel species. This study investigates whether bottlenose dolphin behavior in Sarasota Bay, Florida is influenced by the presence of severe red tide events, focusing on respiratory and other behaviors likely affected by abundant toxin aerosols produced during these blooms. Through focal animal behavioral follows, we observed free-ranging dolphin respiratory behavior, activity budgets, and movement patterns relative to K. brevis abundance in the study area. We compared behavior from dolphins observed during a 2005 K. brevis bloom to those observed during inter-bloom conditions where K. brevis was present at background concentrations. We found that the rate of “chuffing”, an explosive type of exhalation, was significantly greater in dolphins observed during the bloom. No apparent effect on respiratory rate, heading change rate or activity budgets was observed. We propose that this chuffing behavior is analogous to symptoms of respiratory irritation observed in humans exposed to such red tide events, and suggest that this may be a type of disturbance response. With an observed increase in both the frequency and severity of HABs, such disturbance responses may have large-scale chronic impacts to the health and fitness of bottlenose dolphins in regions where such HABs are common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer E Fire
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA.,Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - Glenn A Miller
- Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA
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26
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Reynolds DA, Yoo MJ, Dixson DL, Ross C. Exposure to the Florida red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, and its associated brevetoxins induces ecophysiological and proteomic alterations in Porites astreoides. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228414. [PMID: 32032360 PMCID: PMC7006924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
As reef-building corals are increasingly being exposed to persistent threats that operate on both regional and global scales, there is a pressing need to better understand the complex processes that diminish coral populations. This study investigated the impacts of the Florida red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis and associated brevetoxins on selected facets of coral biology using Porites astreoides as a model system. When provided with choice assays, P. astreoides larvae were shown to actively avoid seawater containing red tide (5×105 cells L-1–7.6×106 cells L-1) or purified brevetoxins (0.018 μg mL-1 brevetoxin-2 and 0.0018 μg mL-1 brevetoxin-3). However, forced exposure to similar treatments induced time-dependent physiological and behavioral changes that were captured by PAM fluorometry and settlement and survival assays, respectively. Adult fragments of P. astreoides exposed to red tide or associated brevetoxins displayed signs of proteomic alterations that were characterized by the use of an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis. The novel use of this technique with P. astreoides demonstrated that protein regulation was highly contingent upon biological versus chemical treatment (i.e. live K. brevis vs. solely brevetoxin exposure) and that several broad pathways associated with cell stress were affected including redox homeostasis, protein folding, energy metabolism and reactive oxygen species production. The results herein provide new insight into the ecology, behavior and sublethal stress of reef-building corals in response to K. brevis exposure and underscore the importance of recognizing the potential of red tide to act as a regional stressor to these important foundation species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Reynolds
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mi-Jeong Yoo
- Department of Biology, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle L. Dixson
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Cliff Ross
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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27
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Van Acker E, De Rijcke M, Asselman J, Beck IM, Huysman S, Vanhaecke L, De Schamphelaere KA, Janssen CR. Aerosolizable Marine Phycotoxins and Human Health Effects: In Vitro Support for the Biogenics Hypothesis. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18010046. [PMID: 31936833 PMCID: PMC7024199 DOI: 10.3390/md18010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Respiratory exposure to marine phycotoxins is of increasing concern. Inhalation of sea spray aerosols (SSAs), during harmful Karenia brevis and Ostreopsis ovata blooms induces respiratory distress among others. The biogenics hypothesis, however, suggests that regular airborne exposure to natural products is health promoting via a downregulation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Until now, little scientific evidence supported this hypothesis. The current explorative in vitro study investigated both health-affecting and potential health-promoting mechanisms of airborne phycotoxin exposure, by analyzing cell viability effects via cytotoxicity assays and effects on the mTOR pathway via western blotting. To that end, A549 and BEAS-2B lung cells were exposed to increasing concentrations (ng·L−1–mg·L−1) of (1) pure phycotoxins and (2) an extract of experimental aerosolized homoyessotoxin (hYTX). The lowest cell viability effect concentrations were found for the examined yessotoxins (YTXs). Contradictory to the other phycotoxins, these YTXs only induced a partial cell viability decrease at the highest test concentrations. Growth inhibition and apoptosis, both linked to mTOR pathway activity, may explain these effects, as both YTXs were shown to downregulate this pathway. This proof-of-principle study supports the biogenics hypothesis, as specific aerosolizable marine products (e.g., YTXs) can downregulate the mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Van Acker
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Correspondence:
| | - Maarten De Rijcke
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Greenbridge, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Ilse M. Beck
- Laboratory for experimental cancer research (LECR), Department for Radiation Oncology and Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University, Campus UZ, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department Health Sciences, Odisee University College, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steve Huysman
- Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Campus Merelbeke, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Lynn Vanhaecke
- Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Campus Merelbeke, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Karel A.C. De Schamphelaere
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R. Janssen
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Campus Coupure, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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28
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Griffith AW, Gobler CJ. Harmful algal blooms: A climate change co-stressor in marine and freshwater ecosystems. HARMFUL ALGAE 2020; 91:101590. [PMID: 32057338 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Marine and freshwater ecosystems are warming, acidifying, and deoxygenating as a consequence of climate change. In parallel, the impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on these ecosystems are intensifying. Many eutrophic habitats that host recurring HABs already experience thermal extremes, low dissolved oxygen, and low pH, making these locations potential sentinel sites for conditions that will become more common in larger-scale systems as climate change accelerates. While studies of the effects of HABs or individual climate change stressors on aquatic organisms have been relatively common, studies assessing their combined impacts have been rare. Those doing so have reported strong species- and strain-specific interactions between HAB species and climate change co-stressors yielding outcomes for aquatic organisms that could not have been predicted based on investigations of these factors individually. This review provides an ecological and physiological framework for considering HABs as a climate change co-stressor and considers the consequences of their combined occurrence for coastal ecosystems. This review also highlights critical gaps in our understanding of HABs as a climate change co-stressor that must be addressed in order to develop management plans that adequately protect fisheries, aquaculture, aquatic ecosystems, and human health. Ultimately, incorporating HAB species into experiments and monitoring programs where the effects of multiple climate change stressors are considered will provide a more ecologically relevant perspective of the structure and function of marine ecosystems in future, climate-altered systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Griffith
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, NY, 11968, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Christopher J Gobler
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, NY, 11968, United States.
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29
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Patel SS, Lovko VJ, Lockey RF. Red Tide: Overview and Clinical Manifestations. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE 2019; 8:1219-1223. [PMID: 31761688 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2019.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms occur when toxin-producing algae grow rapidly. These occur worldwide and have significant impacts on aquatic ecosystems and on human health. Specifically, the toxic blooms of Karenia brevis in Florida may affect humans via inhalation or ingestion. On retrospective reviews, health care costs appear to rise during these outbreaks because of respiratory and gastrointestinal manifestations. Treatment for exposure is supportive care, though traditional inhalers may help with respiratory complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiven S Patel
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and James A. Haley Veterans' Affairs Hospital, Tampa, Fla; Acadia Allergy & Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC.
| | - Vincent J Lovko
- Phytoplankton Ecology Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Fla
| | - Richard F Lockey
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and James A. Haley Veterans' Affairs Hospital, Tampa, Fla
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30
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Scott LL, Downing S, Downing TG. The Evaluation of BMAA Inhalation as a Potential Exposure Route Using a rat Model. Neurotox Res 2017; 33:6-14. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-017-9742-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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31
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McGowan JA, Deyle ER, Ye H, Carter ML, Perretti CT, Seger KD, Verneil A, Sugihara G. Predicting coastal algal blooms in southern California. Ecology 2017; 98:1419-1433. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John A. McGowan
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
| | - Ethan R. Deyle
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
| | - Hao Ye
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
| | - Melissa L. Carter
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
| | - Charles T. Perretti
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
- National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USA
| | - Kerri D. Seger
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
- School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire 03823 USA
| | - Alain Verneil
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
- Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie Campus de Luminy Case 901 13288 Marseille France
| | - George Sugihara
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego La Jolla California 92093 USA
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32
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Marine Toxin Analysis for the Benefit of ‘One Health’ and for the Advancement of Science. RECENT ADVANCES IN THE ANALYSIS OF MARINE TOXINS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.coac.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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33
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Dagenais Bellefeuille S, Morse D. The main nitrate transporter of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum is constitutively expressed and not responsible for daily variations in nitrate uptake rates. HARMFUL ALGAE 2016; 55:272-281. [PMID: 28073541 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2016.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Dinoflagellates are unicellular eukaryotes capable of forming spectacular harmful algal blooms (HABs). Eutrophication of coastal waters by fertilizer runoff, nitrate in particular, has contributed to recent increases in the frequency, magnitude and geographic extent of HABs. Although physiological nitrate uptake and assimilation in dinoflagellates have often been measured in the field and in the laboratory, no molecular components involved in nitrate transport have yet been reported. This study reports the first identification and characterization of dinoflagellate nitrate transporters, found in the transcriptome of the bloom-forming Lingulodinium polyedrum. Of the 23 putative transporters found by BLAST searches, only members of the nitrate transporter 2 (NRT2) family contained all key amino acids known to be essential for nitrate transport. The dinoflagellate NRT2 sequences have 12 predicted transmembrane domains, as do the NRT2 sequences of bacteria, plants and fungi. The NRT2 sequences in Lingulodinium appear to have two different evolutionary origins, as determined by phylogenetic analyses. The most expressed transcript of all putative nitrate transporters was determined by RNA-Seq to be LpNRT2.1. An antibody raised against this transporter showed that the same amount of protein was found at different times over the light dark cycle and with different sources of N. Finally, global nitrate uptake was assessed using a 15N tracer, which showed that the process was not under circadian-control as previously suggested, but simply light-regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Dagenais Bellefeuille
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H1X 2B2
| | - David Morse
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H1X 2B2.
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34
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Deane GB, Stokes MD, Latz MI. Bubble stimulation efficiency of dinoflagellate bioluminescence. LUMINESCENCE 2015; 31:270-80. [PMID: 26061152 DOI: 10.1002/bio.2957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Dinoflagellate bioluminescence, a common source of bioluminescence in coastal waters, is stimulated by flow agitation. Although bubbles are anecdotally known to be stimulatory, the process has never been experimentally investigated. This study quantified the flash response of the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum to stimulation by bubbles rising through still seawater. Cells were stimulated by isolated bubbles of 0.3-3 mm radii rising at their terminal velocity, and also by bubble clouds containing bubbles of 0.06-10 mm radii for different air flow rates. Stimulation efficiency, the proportion of cells producing a flash within the volume of water swept out by a rising bubble, decreased with decreasing bubble radius for radii less than approximately 1 mm. Bubbles smaller than a critical radius in the range 0.275-0.325 mm did not stimulate a flash response. The fraction of cells stimulated by bubble clouds was proportional to the volume of air in the bubble cloud, with lower stimulation levels observed for clouds with smaller bubbles. An empirical model for bubble cloud stimulation based on the isolated bubble observations successfully reproduced the observed stimulation by bubble clouds for low air flow rates. High air flow rates stimulated more light emission than expected, presumably because of additional fluid shear stress associated with collective buoyancy effects generated by the high air fraction bubble cloud. These results are relevant to bioluminescence stimulation by bubbles in two-phase flows, such as in ship wakes, breaking waves, and sparged bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant B Deane
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - M Dale Stokes
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael I Latz
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Turner AD, Higgins C, Davidson K, Veszelovszki A, Payne D, Hungerford J, Higman W. Potential threats posed by new or emerging marine biotoxins in UK waters and examination of detection methodology used in their control: brevetoxins. Mar Drugs 2015; 13:1224-54. [PMID: 25775421 PMCID: PMC4377981 DOI: 10.3390/md13031224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Regular occurrence of brevetoxin-producing toxic phytoplankton in commercial shellfishery areas poses a significant risk to shellfish consumer health. Brevetoxins and their causative toxic phytoplankton are more limited in their global distribution than most marine toxins impacting commercial shellfisheries. On the other hand, trends in climate change could conceivably lead to increased risk posed by these toxins in UK waters. A request was made by UK food safety authorities to examine these toxins more closely to aid possible management strategies, should they pose a threat in the future. At the time of writing, brevetoxins have been detected in the Gulf of Mexico, the Southeast US coast and in New Zealand waters, where regulatory levels for brevetoxins in shellfish have existed for some time. This paper reviews evidence concerning the prevalence of brevetoxins and brevetoxin-producing phytoplankton in the UK, together with testing methodologies. Chemical, biological and biomolecular methods are reviewed, including recommendations for further work to enable effective testing. Although the focus here is on the UK, from a strategic standpoint many of the topics discussed will also be of interest in other parts of the world since new and emerging marine biotoxins are of global concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Turner
- Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK.
| | - Cowan Higgins
- Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK.
| | - Keith Davidson
- Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), Oban, Argyll PA37 1QA, UK.
| | | | - Daniel Payne
- Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK.
- University of Surrey, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7TE, UK.
| | - James Hungerford
- United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), 22201 23rd Dr, S.E., Bothell, WA 98021, USA.
| | - Wendy Higman
- Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK.
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Cammen KM, Rosel PE, Wells RS, Read AJ. Lack of variation in voltage-gated sodium channels of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) exposed to neurotoxic algal blooms. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2014; 157:150-158. [PMID: 25456229 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In coastal marine ecosystems, neurotoxins produced by harmful algal blooms (HABs) often result in large-scale mortality events of many marine species. Historical and frequent exposure to HABs therefore may provide a strong selective pressure for adaptations that result in toxin resistance. Neurotoxin resistance has independently evolved in a variety of terrestrial and marine species via mutations in genes encoding the toxin binding sites within the voltage-gated sodium channel gene complex. Accordingly, we tested the hypothesis that genetic variation in the putative binding site of brevetoxins in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) explains differences among individuals or populations in resistance to harmful Karenia brevis blooms in the Gulf of Mexico. We found very little variation in the sodium channel exons encoding the putative brevetoxin binding site among bottlenose dolphins from central-west Florida and the Florida Panhandle. Our study included samples from several bottlenose dolphin mortality events associated with HABs, but we found no association between genetic variation and survival. We observed a significant effect of geographic region on genetic variation for some sodium channel isoforms, but this can be primarily explained by rare private alleles and is more likely a reflection of regional genetic differentiation than the cause of different levels of HAB resistance between regions. In contrast to many other previously studied neurotoxin-resistant species, we conclude that bottlenose dolphins have not evolved resistance to HABs via mutations in genes encoding the brevetoxin binding site on the voltage-gated sodium channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Cammen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.
| | - Patricia E Rosel
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 646 Cajundome Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Andrew J Read
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
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Lang-Yona N, Lehahn Y, Herut B, Burshtein N, Rudich Y. Marine aerosol as a possible source for endotoxins in coastal areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 499:311-8. [PMID: 25201818 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.08.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 07/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Marine aerosols, that are very common in the highly populated coastal cities and communities, may contain biological constituents. Some of this biological fraction of marine aerosols, such as cyanobacteria and plankton debris, may influence human health by inflammation and allergic reactions when inhaled. In this study we identify and compare sources for endotoxins sampled on filters in an on-shore and more-inland site. Filter analysis included endotoxin content, total bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and cyanobacteria genome concentrations as well as ion content in order to identify possible sources for the endotoxins. Satellite images of chlorophyll-a levels and back trajectory analysis were used to further study the cyanobacteria blooms in the sea, close to the trajectory of the sampled air. The highest endotoxin concentrations found in the shoreline site were during winter (3.23±0.17 EU/m(3)), together with the highest cyanobacteria genome (1065.5 genome/m(3)). The elevated endotoxin concentrations were significantly correlated with cyanobacterial levels scaled to the presence of marine aerosol (r=0.90), as well as to chlorophyll-a (r=0.96). Filters sampled further inland showed lower and non-significant correlation between endotoxin and cyanobacteria (r=0.70, P value=0.19), suggesting decrease in marine-originated endotoxin, with possible contributions from other sources of gram-negative non-cyanobacteria. We conclude that marine cyanobacteria may be a dominant contributor to elevated endotoxin levels in coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naama Lang-Yona
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
| | - Yoav Lehahn
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
| | - Barak Herut
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | - Noa Burshtein
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
| | - Yinon Rudich
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.
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COYOTE (CANIS LATRANS) AND DOMESTIC DOG (CANIS FAMILIARIS) MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY DUE TO A KARENIA BREVIS RED TIDE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. J Wildl Dis 2013; 49:955-64. [DOI: 10.7589/2012-11-299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Gold EP, Jacocks HM, Bourdelais AJ, Baden DG. Brevenal, a brevetoxin antagonist from Karenia brevis, binds to a previously unreported site on mammalian sodium channels. HARMFUL ALGAE 2013; 26:12-19. [PMID: 23789024 PMCID: PMC3684244 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2013.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Brevetoxins are a family of ladder-frame polyether toxins produced by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. During blooms of K. brevis, inhalation of brevetoxins aerosolized by wind and wave action can lead to asthma-like symptoms in persons at the beach. Consumption of either shellfish or finfish contaminated by K. brevis blooms can lead to the development of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. The toxic effects of brevetoxins are due to binding at a defined site on, and subsequent activation of, voltage-sensitive sodium channels (VSSCs) in cell membranes (site 5). In addition to brevetoxins, K. brevis produces several other ladder-frame compounds. One of these compounds, brevenal, has been shown to antagonize the effects of brevetoxin. In an effort to further characterize to effects of brevenal, a radioactive analog ([3H]-brevenol) was produced by reducing the side-chain terminal aldehyde moiety of brevenal to an alcohol using tritiated sodium borohydride. A KD of 67 nM and Bmax of 7.1 pmol/mg protein were obtained for [3H]-brevenol in rat brain synaptosomes, suggesting a 1:1 matching with VSSCs. Brevenal and brevenol competed for [3H]-brevenol binding with Ki values of 75 nM and 56 nM, respectively. However, although both brevenal and brevenol can inhibit brevetoxin binding, brevetoxin was completely ineffective at competition for [3H]-brevenol binding. After examining other site-specific compounds, it was determined that [3H]-brevenol binds to a site that is distinct from the other known sites including the brevetoxin site (site 5) although some interaction with site 5 is apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena P. Gold
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina 28409
| | - Henry M. Jacocks
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina 28409
| | - Andrea J. Bourdelais
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina 28409
| | - Daniel G. Baden
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina 28409
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Bradley WG, Borenstein AR, Nelson LM, Codd GA, Rosen BH, Stommel EW, Cox PA. Is exposure to cyanobacteria an environmental risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases? Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2013; 14:325-33. [PMID: 23286757 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2012.750364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is a broad scientific consensus that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is caused by gene-environment interactions. Mutations in genes underlying familial ALS (fALS) have been discovered in only 5-10% of the total population of ALS patients. Relatively little attention has been paid to environmental and lifestyle factors that may trigger the cascade of motor neuron death leading to the syndrome of ALS, although exposure to chemicals including lead and pesticides, and to agricultural environments, smoking, certain sports, and trauma have all been identified with an increased risk of ALS. There is a need for research to quantify the relative roles of each of the identified risk factors for ALS. Recent evidence has strengthened the theory that chronic environmental exposure to the neurotoxic amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) produced by cyanobacteria may be an environmental risk factor for ALS. Here we describe methods that may be used to assess exposure to cyanobacteria, and hence potentially to BMAA, namely an epidemiologic questionnaire and direct and indirect methods for estimating the cyanobacterial load in ecosystems. Rigorous epidemiologic studies could determine the risks associated with exposure to cyanobacteria, and if combined with genetic analysis of ALS cases and controls could reveal etiologically important gene-environment interactions in genetically vulnerable individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter G Bradley
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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Brand LE, Campbell L, Bresnan E. KARENIA: The biology and ecology of a toxic genus. HARMFUL ALGAE 2012; 14:156-178. [PMID: 36733478 PMCID: PMC9891709 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2011.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Karenia is a genus containing at least 12 species of marine unarmored dinoflagellates. Species of the genus can be found throughout the world in both oceanic and coastal waters. They are usually sparse in abundance, but occasionally form large blooms in coastal waters. Most Karenia species produce a variety of toxins that can kill fish and other marine organisms when they bloom. In addition to toxicity, some Karenia blooms cause animal mortalities through the generation of anoxia. At least one species, K. brevis, produces brevetoxin that not only kills fish, marine mammals, and other animals, but also causes Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning and respiratory distress in humans. The lipid soluble brevetoxin can biomagnify up the food chain through fish to top carnivores like dolphins, killing them. Karenia dinoflagellates are slow growers, so physical concentrating mechanisms are probably important for the development of blooms. The blooms are highly sporadic in both time and space, although most tend to occur in summer or fall months in frontal regions. At the present time, our understanding of the causes of the blooms and ability to predict them is poor. Given the recent discovery of new species, it is likely that new Karenia species and toxins will be discovered in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry E Brand
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Cswy, Miami, FL 33149, United States
| | - Lisa Campbell
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Eileen Bresnan
- Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB, United Kingdom
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Bean JA, Fleming LE, Kirkpatrick B, Backer LC, Nierenberg K, Reich A, Cheng YS, Wanner A, Benson J, Naar J, Pierce R, Abraham WM, Kirkpatrick G, Hollenbeck J, Zaias J, Mendes E, Baden DG. Florida Red Tide Toxins (Brevetoxins) and Longitudinal Respiratory Effects in Asthmatics. HARMFUL ALGAE 2011; 10:744-748. [PMID: 22053149 PMCID: PMC3204579 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2011.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Having demonstrated significant and persistent adverse changes in pulmonary function for asthmatics after 1 hour exposure to brevetoxins in Florida red tide (Karenia brevis bloom) aerosols, we assessed the possible longer term health effects in asthmatics from intermittent environmental exposure to brevetoxins over 7 years. 125 asthmatic subjects were assessed for their pulmonary function and reported symptoms before and after 1 hour of environmental exposure to Florida red tide aerosols for upto 11 studies over seven years. As a group, the asthmatics came to the studies with normal standardized percent predicted pulmonary function values. The 38 asthmatics who participated in only one exposure study were more reactive compared to the 36 asthmatics who participated in ≥4 exposure studies. The 36 asthmatics participating in ≥4 exposure studies demonstrated no significant change in their standardized percent predicted pre-exposure pulmonary function over the 7 years of the study. These results indicate that stable asthmatics living in areas with intermittent Florida red tides do not exhibit chronic respiratory effects from intermittent environmental exposure to aerosolized brevetoxins over a 7 year period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy A Bean
- Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229
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Zaias J, Fleming LE, Baden DG, Abraham WM. Repeated exposure to aerosolized brevetoxin-3 induces prolonged airway hyperresponsiveness and lung inflammation in sheep. Inhal Toxicol 2011; 23:205-11. [PMID: 21456953 DOI: 10.3109/08958378.2011.558936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT During a Florida red tide, brevetoxins (PbTxs) produced by Karenia brevis become aerosolized and can cause both immediate and prolonged airway symptoms in humans, especially in those with preexisting airway disease (e.g., asthma). Although environmental monitoring indicates that toxins remain airborne for up to 4 consecutive days, there is little information on airway responses after multiple-day exposures. OBJECTIVES To delineate putative mechanisms leading to pulmonary dysfunction after PbTx exposure, we studied airway responses before and after multiple exposures to aerosol PbTx-3, the most potent PbTx produced, in nonallergic (healthy) and in allergic sheep, which serve as a surrogate for patients with compromised airways. METHODS Both groups were exposed to 20 breaths of increasing concentrations of PbTx-3 (30-300 pg/mL) for 4 consecutive days. Airway responsiveness to carbachol (1 and 8 days after) and airway inflammation as assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage (0 and 7 days after) were measured. RESULTS Both groups developed airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) 1 day after challenge; the severity was concentration dependent and more severe in the allergic group. AHR remained after 8 days, but the difference in the severity between the groups was lost. Both groups developed an inflammatory response after exposure to 300 pg/mL PbTx-3. Immediately after exposure, lung neutrophilia was prominent. This neutrophilia persisted for 7 days in addition to increases in total cells and macrophages. CONCLUSION Repeated exposures to PbTx-3 result in prolonged AHR and lung inflammation. These pathophysiologic responses could be underlying contributors to the prolonged respiratory symptoms in humans after red tides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Zaias
- University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Division of Comparative Pathology, Miami, Florida, 33140 USA
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Fleming LE, Kirkpatrick B, Backer LC, Walsh CJ, Nierenberg K, Clark J, Reich A, Hollenbeck J, Benson J, Cheng YS, Naar J, Pierce R, Bourdelais AJ, Abraham WM, Kirkpatrick G, Zaias J, Wanner A, Mendes E, Shalat S, Hoagland P, Stephan W, Bean J, Watkins S, Clarke T, Byrne M, Baden DG. Review of Florida Red Tide and Human Health Effects. HARMFUL ALGAE 2011; 10:224-233. [PMID: 21218152 PMCID: PMC3014608 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2010.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews the literature describing research performed over the past decade on the known and possible exposures and human health effects associated with Florida red tides. These harmful algal blooms are caused by the dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, and similar organisms, all of which produce a suite of natural toxins known as brevetoxins. Florida red tide research has benefited from a consistently funded, long term research program, that has allowed an interdisciplinary team of researchers to focus their attention on this specific environmental issue-one that is critically important to Gulf of Mexico and other coastal communities. This long-term interdisciplinary approach has allowed the team to engage the local community, identify measures to protect public health, take emerging technologies into the field, forge advances in natural products chemistry, and develop a valuable pharmaceutical product. The Review includes a brief discussion of the Florida red tide organisms and their toxins, and then focuses on the effects of these toxins on animals and humans, including how these effects predict what we might expect to see in exposed people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lora E Fleming
- NSF NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Center, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL, 33149
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Brevetoxin-2 induces an inflammatory response in an alveolar macrophage cell line. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2010; 213:352-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2010.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2010] [Revised: 06/16/2010] [Accepted: 06/24/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Cheng YS, Zhou Y, Naar J, Irvin CM, Su WC, Fleming LE, Kirkpatrick B, Pierce RH, Backer LC, Baden DG. Personal exposure to aerosolized red tide toxins (brevetoxins). JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE 2010; 7:326-31. [PMID: 20379895 DOI: 10.1080/15459621003724041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Florida red tides occur annually in the Gulf of Mexico from blooms of the marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, which produces highly potent natural polyether toxins, brevetoxins. Several epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that human exposure to red tide aerosol could result in increased respiratory symptoms. Environmental monitoring of aerosolized brevetoxins was performed using a high-volume sampler taken hourly at fixed locations on Siesta Beach, Florida. Personal exposure was monitored using personal air samplers and taking nasal swab samples from the subjects who were instructed to spend 1 hr on Sarasota Beach during two sampling periods of an active Florida red tide event in March 2005, and in May 2008 when there was no red tide. Results showed that the aerosolized brevetoxins from the personal sampler were in modest agreement with the environmental concentration taken from a high-volume sampler. Analysis of nasal swab samples for brevetoxins demonstrated 68% positive samples in the March 2005 sampling period when air concentrations of brevetoxins were between 50 to 120 ng/m(3) measured with the high-volume sampler. No swab samples showed detectable levels of brevetoxins in the May 2008 study, when all personal samples were below the limit of detection. However, there were no statistical correlations between the amounts of brevetoxins detected in the swab samples with either the environmental or personal concentration. Results showed that the personal sample might provide an estimate of individual exposure level. Nasal swab samples showed that brevetoxins indeed were inhaled and deposited in the nasal passage during the March 2005 red tide event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung Sung Cheng
- Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108, USA.
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Characterization of Florida red tide aerosol and the temporal profile of aerosol concentration. Toxicon 2009; 55:922-9. [PMID: 19879288 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2009] [Revised: 10/07/2009] [Accepted: 10/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Red tide aerosols containing aerosolized brevetoxins are produced during the red tide bloom and transported by wind to coastal areas of Florida. This study reports the characterization of Florida red tide aerosols in human volunteer studies, in which an asthma cohort spent 1h on Siesta Beach (Sarasota, Florida) during aerosolized red tide events and non-exposure periods. Aerosol concentrations, brevetoxin levels, and particle size distribution were measured. Hourly filter samples were taken and analyzed for brevetoxin and NaCl concentrations. In addition, the aerosol mass concentration was monitored in real time. The results indicated that during a non-exposure period in October 2004, no brevetoxin was detected in the water, resulting in non-detectable levels of brevetoxin in the aerosol. In March 2005, the time-averaged concentrations of brevetoxins in water samples were moderate, in the range of 5-10 microg/L, and the corresponding brevetoxin level of Florida red tide aerosol ranged between 21 and 39 ng/m(3). The temporal profiles of red tide aerosol concentration in terms of mass, NaCl, and brevetoxin were in good agreement, indicating that NaCl and brevetoxins are components of the red tide aerosol. By continuously monitoring the marine aerosol and wind direction at Siesta Beach, we observed that the marine aerosol concentration varied as the wind direction changed. The temporal profile of the Florida red tide aerosol during a sampling period could be explained generally with the variation of wind direction.
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Hoagland P, Jin D, Polansky LY, Kirkpatrick B, Kirkpatrick G, Fleming LE, Reich A, Watkins SM, Ullmann SG, Backer LC. The costs of respiratory illnesses arising from Florida gulf coast Karenia brevis blooms. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2009; 117:1239-43. [PMID: 19672403 PMCID: PMC2721867 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0900645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2009] [Accepted: 05/01/2009] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Algal blooms of Karenia brevis, a harmful marine algae, occur almost annually off the west coast of Florida. At high concentrations, K. brevis blooms can cause harm through the release of potent toxins, known as brevetoxins, to the atmosphere. Epidemiologic studies suggest that aerosolized brevetoxins are linked to respiratory illnesses in humans. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized a relationship between K. brevis blooms and respiratory illness visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs) while controlling for environmental factors, disease, and tourism. We sought to use this relationship to estimate the costs of illness associated with aerosolized brevetoxins. METHODS We developed a statistical exposure-response model to express hypotheses about the relationship between respiratory illnesses and bloom events. We estimated the model with data on ED visits, K. brevis cell densities, and measures of pollen, pollutants, respiratory disease, and intra-annual population changes. RESULTS We found that lagged K. brevis cell counts, low air temperatures, influenza outbreaks, high pollen counts, and tourist visits helped explain the number of respiratory-specific ED diagnoses. The capitalized estimated marginal costs of illness for ED respiratory illnesses associated with K. brevis blooms in Sarasota County, Florida, alone ranged from $0.5 to $4 million, depending on bloom severity. CONCLUSIONS Blooms of K. brevis lead to significant economic impacts. The costs of illness of ED visits are a conservative estimate of the total economic impacts. It will become increasingly necessary to understand the scale of the economic losses associated with K. brevis blooms to make rational choices about appropriate mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Porter Hoagland
- Marine Policy Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA.
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Fleming LE, Bean JA, Kirkpatrick B, Cheng YS, Pierce R, Naar J, Nierenberg K, Backer LC, Wanner A, Reich A, Zhou Y, Watkins S, Henry M, Zaias J, Abraham WM, Benson J, Cassedy A, Hollenbeck J, Kirkpatrick G, Clarke T, Baden DG. Exposure and effect assessment of aerosolized red tide toxins (brevetoxins) and asthma. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2009; 117:1095-100. [PMID: 19654919 PMCID: PMC2717136 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0900673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2009] [Accepted: 04/13/2009] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In previous studies we demonstrated statistically significant changes in reported symptoms for lifeguards, general beach goers, and persons with asthma, as well as statistically significant changes in pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in asthmatics, after exposure to brevetoxins in Florida red tide (Karenia brevis bloom) aerosols. OBJECTIVES In this study we explored the use of different methods of intensive ambient and personal air monitoring to characterize these exposures to predict self-reported health effects in our asthmatic study population. METHODS We evaluated health effects in 87 subjects with asthma before and after 1 hr of exposure to Florida red tide aerosols and assessed for aerosolized brevetoxin exposure using personal and ambient samplers. RESULTS After only 1 hr of exposure to Florida red tide aerosols containing brevetoxin concentrations > 57 ng/m(3), asthmatics had statistically significant increases in self-reported respiratory symptoms and total symptom scores. However, we did not see the expected corresponding changes in PFT results. Significant increases in self-reported symptoms were also observed for those not using asthma medication and those living >/= 1 mile from the coast. CONCLUSIONS These results provide additional evidence of health effects in asthmatics from ambient exposure to aerosols containing very low concentrations of brevetoxins, possibly at the lower threshold for inducing a biologic response (i.e., toxicity). Consistent with the literature describing self-reported symptoms as an accurate measure of asthmatic distress, our results suggest that self-reported symptoms are a valuable measure of the extent of health effects from exposure to aerosolized brevetoxins in asthmatic populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lora E Fleming
- National Science Foundation National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Oceans and Human Health Center, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
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