Toxin Production

Cyanotoxin Producers

There are over millions of cyanobacteria species with only a few capable of being toxin producers. Unfortuanlely, those few are quite common in our Oklahoma water bodies. Even more, some species of cyanobacteria are capable of producing more than one cyanotoxin at a time. Only laboratory testing can determine what toxin producers are present and how severe the toxicity is. Below is a breakdown of the cyanotoxins and their charateristics.

Microcystin

• Hepatoxin and Dermatoxin
• Released in the water when cyahobacterial cells begin to disintegrate
• Stable in environment
• Resistant to pH extremes and high temperatures but degradable by sunlight

Cylindrospermopsin

• Hepatoxin but can affect other organs (thymus, kidneys, lung, heart, and intestinal tract)
• Released in the water by live cyanobacterial cells
• Stable in the environment
• Resistant to high temperatures, sunlight, and pH extremes

Anatoxin

• Neurtoxin
• Released in the water when cyahobacterial cells begin to disintegrate
• Relatively stable in environment
• Not resistant to high temperatures, sunlight, and changed under alkaline conditions

Saxitoxin

• Neurotoxin
• Released in the water when cyahobacterial cells begin to disintegrate
• Stable in the environment
• Resistant to high temperatures, sunlight, and pH extremes

 

*Based on the LD50 which is the amount of toxin that it takes to kill 50% of a test population.  The smaller the number, the more potent the toxin.

 

Toxin Classification

Neurotoxins

• Affects the the nervous systems

Hepatotoxins

• Affects the liver system

Dermatoxins

• Affects the skin