GLIN==> UPCOMING SEMINAR

[Kanika Suri <Kanika.Suri@noaa.gov>]

Dr Judy Westrick from the Department of Chemistry and Environmental 
Sciences at Lake Superior State University will be giving a seminar on 
January 27 as a part of the NOAA/ University of Michigan Great Lakes and 
Human Health Seminar Series.

Please find details of her talk listed below.


Title: "Update on a National Preliminary Algal Toxin Occurance Study 
that Monitored Source and Distribution Waters"

Speaker: *Judy A. Westrick*, Lake Superior State University, Department 
of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Sault Sainte Marie, MI

Date: Friday, January 27
Time: 1030 AM

Location: Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 2205 
Commonwealth Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI, 48105

This is one of the Ocean and Human Health special topic seminars.

Title: "Update on a national preliminary algal toxin occurance study 
that monitored source and distribution waters"

Speaker: *Judy A. Westrick*, Lake Superior State University, Department 
of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, Sault Sainte Marie, MI

Abstract:
Cyanobacterial blooms occur worldwide in marine, brackish, and fresh 
waters. At least one-third of these genera are capable of producing 
toxins. In 1998 and 2005, fresh water algal toxins were added to the 
Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) by the United States Environmental 
Protection Agency (USEPA). Shortly after the 1998 announcement, a 
priority list was released that included five hepatotoxins, 
microcystin-LR, -RR, -LA, -YR, and cyclindrospermopsin, and the 
neurotoxin anatoxin-a. Current World Health Organization (WHO) 
monitoring guidelines incorporate a sequence of alert levels based on 
algal cell counts and/or taste and odor production that were established 
in 1993. These alert levels start at cell counts of 2000 units/mL and 
increase the frequency of monitoring. We describe a preliminary study 
funded by the USEPA to evaluate the prevalence of the algal toxin 
microcystin in drinking water supplies. An Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant 
Assay (ELISA) was used to screen the source and distribution water 
samples for microcystin. The ELISA kit has a range limit of 0.05 ppb to 
0.83 ppb microcystin. Total and toxin-producing algal counts were 
conducted on weekly source and distribution water samples from utilities 
located in five US states. Four of the five utilities experienced algal 
blooms in their source water. All of these conventional plants 
effectively removed the algae and all distribution water samples showed 
microcystin levels below the detection limit of 0.05 ppb. Four of the 
utilities source water did show detectable levels of microcystin within 
the range limits of the kit. Selected source water samples were analyzed 
by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). We describe this HPLC 
method capable of quantifying intracellular microcystin toxin variants, 
as well as cylindrospermopsin and anatoxin-a, and compare it to the 
ELISA. The WHO algal toxin monitoring framework and monitoring cost was 
evaluated against for different analytical methods and scenarios.


If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at 
kanika.suri@noaa.gov; or call 734-741-2147. Also, if you are interested 
in going out for lunch with Dr. Westrick after her talk, please RSVP by 
Thursday, January 26.

For more information about the seminar series, please visit our website 
at http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/news/seminars/

**************************************************************************************** 

Kanika Suri
Center of Excellence for Great Lakes and Human Health (CEGLHH)
2205 Commonwealth Blvd.
Ann Arbor, MI
48105

734-741-2147




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