Application of passive sampling in analysis and monitoring of cyanobacterial toxins


Libor Jaša^a, b *, Jan Sadílek^ a, b, Jíří Kohoutek^ b, Blahoslav Maršálek^ a, b, Pavel Babica^a, b

^

^a Department of Experimental Phycology and Ecotoxicology, Institute of Botany ASCR, Lidická 25/27,
602 00 Brno, Czech Republic

^b RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science , Masaryk
University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic


Toxins produced by cyanobacteria have become an important group of pollutants in the aquatic
environment. The occurrence of cyanotoxins in water reservoirs may be associated with serious human
health risks, therefore there is a need for suitable and efficient tools for cyanotoxin monitoring.
Passive sampling, which is being increasingly applied in monitoring of various environmental
pollutants, represents a method based on passive accumulation of chemicals from the environment
into passive sampler's receiving phase (sorbent), which has an affinity for specific pollutant(s)
of interest.

Our research is currently focusing on optimization and application of passive samplers for
sequestration of major cyanobacterial toxins, microcystins (MCs) and cylindrospermopsin (CYN). We
optimized, evaluated and calibrated an integrative passive sampler for monitoring of MCs. In
laboratory experiments, the optimized samplers showed linear uptake of MCs over a period of at
least 14 days, with minimal detectable time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of MCs being at
pg/L level. Optimized passive samplers were then employed in a field study carried out at three
different drinking water reservoirs and adjacent drinking water treatment plants. Deployed passive
samplers showed great ability to sequester MCs throughout the season. When compared with MC
concentrations obtained from parallel grab sampling, TWA concentrations derived from passive
samplers reflected very well observed seasonal dynamic and spatial variations of MC concentrations.
In order to develop passive sampling device for sequestration of an emergent cyanobacterial toxin
CYN, we evaluated CYN-binding ability of several commercially available sorbents. The highest
recovery rate of CYN in SPE experiments was observed for activated carbon, copolymer sorbents and
mixed-mode ion exchangers. These sorbents will be used as a receiving phase of experimental passive
samplers for CYN and further evaluated in laboratory experiments.  Our studies have demonstrated
that passive sampling provides a valuable tool, which can be effectively employed also in
cyanotoxin research.


Acknowledgements

This research was supported by SoMoPro grant 2SGA2858, Thomas Bata Foundation and Czech Ministry of
Education grant LO1214