Cyanotoxins

Cyanobacteria are commonly found in freshwater environments where they can produce blooms which can cause unpleasant odors and deplete oxygen levels, causing conditions harmful to wildlife. Some cyanobacterial blooms can produce cyanotoxins such as microcystin, anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin, and saxitoxin, which can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, enter the food chain and ultimately affect human health. In addition, exposure can occur via inhalation or direct skin contact when encountering contaminated waters as well as by consuming contaminated drinking water supplies. Scientists and researchers continue to learn more about the identification, effects and management of cyanotoxins, using instrumentation such as the PerkinElmer QSight^® LC-MS/MS to provide them with the sensitivity and versatility required to study these important environmental contaminants.