Toxins and Harmful Algal Blooms Science Team Active
The Team Studies the Factors that Contribute to Algal Toxin Production, Release, and Outbreaks
The Team Identifies Algal Toxins in Surface Waters
Cyanobacterial Bloom on Lake Okeechobee, Florida
The Team Identifies Cyanobacteria Associated with Toxin Production
Gleotrichia shown under a microscope
The Team Advances Method, Sensor, and Model Development
to provide decision support and advanced warning
The Team Improves the Understanding of Algal Toxin Uptake
and if uptake results in adverse effects on wildlife
The Team Develops Advanced Analytical Capabilities
The team develops advanced methods to study factors driving algal toxin production, how and where wildlife or humans are exposed to toxins, and ecotoxicology. That information is used to develop decision tools to understand if toxin exposure leads to adverse health effects in order to protect human and wildlife health.
Algal blooms frequently occur in our Nation's water resources and can cause economic, ecologic, and human health concerns. Algal blooms often contain cyanobacteria and other microorganisms, which can produce natural toxins. Yet, the actual health threats posed to the public, pets, livestock, and wildlife by these toxins in water resources used for recreation and drinking water remain poorly understood. Consequently, in order to be protective from potential health risks, rapid decisions are often made by land managers, public utilities and others to limit access to water resources for recreation or drinking water. These decisions are often based largely on a perception of potential risk.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Toxins and Harmful Algal Blooms Research Team works with multiple stakeholders to quantify toxin exposure and effects, identify hazards and vulnerabilities, develop tools to quantify and forecast toxin occurrence and exposure, and estimate socioeconomic impacts. Knowledge gained is used to identify actual versus perceived health risks posed by natural toxins. The team’s approach for understanding health impacts of algal toxins on humans and wildlife is a sequential process where each step informs the next in the laboratory and in the field. This approach involves teams of USGS scientists working at field sites across the United States, and in collaboration with other scientists to address human and wildlife health concerns.
Current Science Activities
- Toxin Exposure and Effects
- Determining the effects of cyanotoxins in fish and birds, including, cyanotoxin induced endocrine disruption, sublethal effects, and immunomodulation effects
- Determining bioaccessibility of cyanotoxins from ambient waters, finished drinking water, and raw and cooked fish in simulated mammalian digestive systems
- Evaluating the potential exposure risk of cyanotoxins in tap waters in the United States
- Dose-dependent animal toxicity studies for cyanotoxins and in relation to health advisory thresholds
- Biomarkers and cellular response to acute and chronic cyanotoxin exposure and potential proactive response measures
- Cyanotoxin and algal blooms related health impacts on reserved Federal lands and U.S. Trust species
- Potential for cyanotoxin aerosolization and human health effects (collaboration with CDC)
- Causes, Control, and Fate of Toxin Production
- Evaluation of commercial personal drinking water purifiers for toxin removal
- Understanding cyanotoxin production and control dynamics
- The response of harmful algae to atmospheric stimuli and implication for ecosystem and human health
- Advancing Methods and Sensors to Support Toxin Studies
- Validation of a method for simultaneously measuring multiple classes of cyanotoxins and algal toxins in surface waters across the freshwater to marine continuum
- Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN): Detection of cyanobacterial blooms and potential toxin production in lakes and reservoirs
- Polyphasic identification of toxin producing cyanobacteria
- Assessment of physical and chemical properties of cyanotoxins
- Decision Support
- Identification and quantitation of cyanotoxin socioeconomic effects
Below are other science teams and laboratories associated with this project.
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
Related publications below.
Freshwater neurotoxins and concerns for human, animal, and ecosystemhealth: A review of anatoxin-a and saxitoxin
Characterization of water-quality and bed-sediment conditions in Currituck Sound, North Carolina, prior to the Mid-Currituck Bridge construction, 2011–18
Mixed organic and inorganic tapwater exposures and potential effects in greater Chicago area, USA
Cyanotoxin occurrence in large rivers of the United States
Cyanotoxins occur in rivers worldwide but are understudied in lotic ecosystems relative to lakes and reservoirs. Eleven large river sites located throughout the United States were sampled during June–September 2017 to determine the occurrence of cyanobacteria with known cyanotoxin-producing strains, cyanotoxin synthetase genes, and cyanotoxins. Chlorophyll-a concentrations spanned the range from o
Measurement of cyanobacteria bloom magnitude using satellite remote sensing
An overview of bioaerosol load and health impacts associated with dust storms: A focus on the Middle East
Phytoplankton community and algal toxicity at a recurring bloom in Sullivan Bay, Kabetogama Lake, Minnesota, USA
Kabetogama Lake in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA suffers from recurring late summer algal blooms that often contain toxin-producing cyanobacteria. Previous research identified the toxin microcystin in blooms, but we wanted to better understand how the algal and cyanobacterial community changed throughout an open water season and how changes in community structure were related to toxin pr
Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for North America
Effects of microcystin-LR on juvenile Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) during feeding trials, Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2014−16
The presence of antibiotic resistance genes in coastal soil and sediment samples from the eastern seaboard of the USA
Demonstrating the value of Earth observations—methods, practical applications, and solutions—group on Earth observations side event proceedings
Methods used for the collection and analysis of chemical and biological data for the Tapwater Exposure Study, United States, 2016–17
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Overview
The team develops advanced methods to study factors driving algal toxin production, how and where wildlife or humans are exposed to toxins, and ecotoxicology. That information is used to develop decision tools to understand if toxin exposure leads to adverse health effects in order to protect human and wildlife health.
Algal blooms frequently occur in our Nation's water resources and can cause economic, ecologic, and human health concerns. Algal blooms often contain cyanobacteria and other microorganisms, which can produce natural toxins. Yet, the actual health threats posed to the public, pets, livestock, and wildlife by these toxins in water resources used for recreation and drinking water remain poorly understood. Consequently, in order to be protective from potential health risks, rapid decisions are often made by land managers, public utilities and others to limit access to water resources for recreation or drinking water. These decisions are often based largely on a perception of potential risk.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Toxins and Harmful Algal Blooms Research Team works with multiple stakeholders to quantify toxin exposure and effects, identify hazards and vulnerabilities, develop tools to quantify and forecast toxin occurrence and exposure, and estimate socioeconomic impacts. Knowledge gained is used to identify actual versus perceived health risks posed by natural toxins. The team’s approach for understanding health impacts of algal toxins on humans and wildlife is a sequential process where each step informs the next in the laboratory and in the field. This approach involves teams of USGS scientists working at field sites across the United States, and in collaboration with other scientists to address human and wildlife health concerns.
Current Science Activities
- Toxin Exposure and Effects
- Determining the effects of cyanotoxins in fish and birds, including, cyanotoxin induced endocrine disruption, sublethal effects, and immunomodulation effects
- Determining bioaccessibility of cyanotoxins from ambient waters, finished drinking water, and raw and cooked fish in simulated mammalian digestive systems
- Evaluating the potential exposure risk of cyanotoxins in tap waters in the United States
- Dose-dependent animal toxicity studies for cyanotoxins and in relation to health advisory thresholds
- Biomarkers and cellular response to acute and chronic cyanotoxin exposure and potential proactive response measures
- Cyanotoxin and algal blooms related health impacts on reserved Federal lands and U.S. Trust species
- Potential for cyanotoxin aerosolization and human health effects (collaboration with CDC)
- Causes, Control, and Fate of Toxin Production
- Evaluation of commercial personal drinking water purifiers for toxin removal
- Understanding cyanotoxin production and control dynamics
- The response of harmful algae to atmospheric stimuli and implication for ecosystem and human health
- Advancing Methods and Sensors to Support Toxin Studies
- Validation of a method for simultaneously measuring multiple classes of cyanotoxins and algal toxins in surface waters across the freshwater to marine continuum
- Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN): Detection of cyanobacterial blooms and potential toxin production in lakes and reservoirs
- Polyphasic identification of toxin producing cyanobacteria
- Assessment of physical and chemical properties of cyanotoxins
- Decision Support
- Identification and quantitation of cyanotoxin socioeconomic effects
- Toxin Exposure and Effects
- Science
Below are other science teams and laboratories associated with this project.
- Data
The following are the data releases from this science team’s research activities.
- Publications
Related publications below.
Filter Total Items: 69Freshwater neurotoxins and concerns for human, animal, and ecosystemhealth: A review of anatoxin-a and saxitoxin
Toxic cyanobacteria are a concern worldwide because they can adversely affect humans, animals, and ecosystems. However, neurotoxins produced by freshwater cyanobacteria are understudied relative to microcystin. Thus, the objective of this critical review was to provide a comprehensive examination of the modes of action, production, fate, and occurrence of the freshwater neurotoxins anatoxin-a andAuthorsVictoria Christensen, Eakalak KhanCharacterization of water-quality and bed-sediment conditions in Currituck Sound, North Carolina, prior to the Mid-Currituck Bridge construction, 2011–18
The North Carolina Turnpike Authority plans to improve transportation in the Currituck Sound area by constructing a two-lane bridge—the Mid-Currituck Bridge—across Currituck Sound from the mainland to the Outer Banks, North Carolina. The results of the final environmental impact statement for the project indicate potential water-quality and habitat effects for Currituck Sound associated with the bAuthorsStephen L. Harden, Sharon A. Fitzgerald, Chad R. Wagner, Emilia L. Bristow, Keith A. Loftin, Barry H. RosenMixed organic and inorganic tapwater exposures and potential effects in greater Chicago area, USA
Safe drinking water at the point of use (tapwater, TW) is a public-health priority. TW exposures and potential human-health concerns of 540 organics and 35 inorganics were assessed in 45 Chicago area United States (US) homes in 2017. No US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforceable Maximum Contaminant Level(s) (MCL) were exceeded in any residential or water treatment plant (WTP) pre-distribAuthorsPaul Bradley, Maria Argos, Dana W. Kolpin, Shannon M. Meppelink, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Michael J. Focazio, Joshua M. Allen, Julie E. Dietze, Michael J. Devito, Ariel Donovan, Nicola Evans, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle Hladik, Luke Iwanowicz, Celeste A. Journey, Rachael F. Lane, Zachary Laughrey, Keith A. Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Elizabeth K Medlock Kakaley, Michael T. Meyer, Andrea Holthouse-Putz, Susan D Richardson, Alan Stark, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson, Abderrahman ZehraouiCyanotoxin occurrence in large rivers of the United States
Cyanotoxins occur in rivers worldwide but are understudied in lotic ecosystems relative to lakes and reservoirs. Eleven large river sites located throughout the United States were sampled during June–September 2017 to determine the occurrence of cyanobacteria with known cyanotoxin-producing strains, cyanotoxin synthetase genes, and cyanotoxins. Chlorophyll-a concentrations spanned the range from o
AuthorsJennifer L. Graham, Neil Dubrovsky, Guy Foster, Lindsey R. King, Keith Loftin, Barry Rosen, Erin StelzerMeasurement of cyanobacteria bloom magnitude using satellite remote sensing
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are a serious environmental, water quality and public health issue worldwide because of their ability to form dense biomass and produce toxins. Models and algorithms have been developed to detect and quantify cyanoHABs biomass using remotely sensed data but not for quantifying bloom magnitude, information that would guide water quality management decAuthorsSachidananda Mishra, Richard P. Stumpf, Blake Schaeffer, P. Jeremy Werdell, Keith A. Loftin, Andrew MeredithAn overview of bioaerosol load and health impacts associated with dust storms: A focus on the Middle East
Dust storms are an important environmental problem worldwide. The main sources of dust storms include the Sahara, the Middle East, and central and northeastern Asia. Dust storms originating from these regions can be dispersed across oceans and in some cases globally. They occur throughout the year and vary in frequency and intensity. The biological agents (e.g., fungi, bacteria and viruses) and thAuthorsZahra Soleimani, Pari Teymouri, Ali Darvishi Boloorani, Alireza Mesdaghinia, Nick Middleton, Dale W. GriffinPhytoplankton community and algal toxicity at a recurring bloom in Sullivan Bay, Kabetogama Lake, Minnesota, USA
Kabetogama Lake in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA suffers from recurring late summer algal blooms that often contain toxin-producing cyanobacteria. Previous research identified the toxin microcystin in blooms, but we wanted to better understand how the algal and cyanobacterial community changed throughout an open water season and how changes in community structure were related to toxin pr
AuthorsVictoria Christensen, Ryan P. Maki, Erin A. Stelzer, Jack E. Norland, Eakalak KhanToward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for North America
Anticipating, identifying, and prioritizing strategic needs represent essential activities by research organizations. Decided benefits emerge when these pursuits engage globally important environment and health goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, horizon scanning efforts can facilitate identification of specific research needs to address grand challengesAuthorsAnne Fairbrother, Derek Muir, Keith R. Solomon, Gerald T. Ankley, Murray A. Rudd, Alistair B. A. Boxall, William J. Adams, Jennifer N. Apell, Kevin L. Armbrust, Bonnie J. Blalock, Sarah R. Bowman, Linda M. Campbell, George P. Cobb, Kristin A. Connors, David A. Dreier, Marlene S. Evans, Carol J. Henry, Robert A. Hoke, Magali Houde, Stephen J. Klaine, Rebecca D. Klaper, Sigrun A. Kullik, Roman P. Lanno, Charles Meyer, Mary Ann Ottinger, Elias Oziolor, Elijah J. Petersen, Helen C. Poynton, Pamela J. Rice, Gabriela Rodriguez-Fuentes, Alan Samel, Joseph R. Shaw, Jeffery Steevens, Tim A. Verslycke, Doris E. Vidal-Dorsch, Scott M. Weir, Peter Wilson, Bryan W. BrooksEffects of microcystin-LR on juvenile Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) during feeding trials, Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2014−16
Executive SummaryHistorically, populations of Lost River suckers (Deltistes luxatus) of the Upper Klamath Basin were so numerous that they were commercially harvested; however, declining numbers throughout the 20th century led to the listing of the species under the United States Endangered Species Act in 1988. Habitat destruction, poor water quality, competition with (and predation by) nonnativeAuthorsBarbara A. Martin, Kathy R. Echols, Diane G. Elliott, Kevin Feltz, Carla M. Conway, Summer M. BurdickThe presence of antibiotic resistance genes in coastal soil and sediment samples from the eastern seaboard of the USA
Infections from antibiotic resistant microorganisms are considered to be one of the greatest global public health challenges that result in huge annual economic losses. While genes that impart resistance to antibiotics (AbR) existed long before the discovery and use of antibiotics, anthropogenic uses of antibiotics in agriculture, domesticated animals, and humans are known to influence the prevaleAuthorsDale W. Griffin, William Benzel, Shawn C. Fisher, Michael J. Focazio, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith A. Loftin, Timothy J. Reilly, Daniel JonesByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, New York Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Utah Water Science CenterDemonstrating the value of Earth observations—methods, practical applications, and solutions—group on Earth observations side event proceedings
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the European Association for Remote Sensing Companies, and the European Space Agency in coordination with the GEOValue Community hosted a side event to the Group on Earth Observations Plenary on October 23–24, 2017, in Washington, D.C. The workshop, entitled “Demonstrating the Value of Earth ObservatiAuthorsFrancoise Pearlman, Collin B. Lawrence, Emily J. Pindilli, Denna Geppi, Carl D. Shapiro, Monica Grasso, Jay Pearlman, Jeffery Adkins, Geoff Sawyer, Alessandra TassaMethods used for the collection and analysis of chemical and biological data for the Tapwater Exposure Study, United States, 2016–17
In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Environmental Health Mission Area, initiated the Tapwater Exposure Study as part of an infrastructure project to assess human exposure to potential threats from complex mixtures of contaminants. In the pilot phase (2016), samples were collected from 11 States throughout the United States, and in the second phase (2017), the study focused on the Greater ChAuthorsKristin M. Romanok, Dana W. Kolpin, Shannon M. Meppelink, Maria Argos, Juliane B. Brown, Michael J. Devito, Julie E. Dietze, Carrie E. Givens, James L. Gray, Christopher P. Higgins, Michelle L. Hladik, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith A. Loftin, R. Blaine McCleskey, Carrie A. McDonough, Michael T. Meyer, Mark J. Strynar, Christopher P. Weis, Vickie S. Wilson, Paul M. Bradley - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.