Cyanobacterial toxins in Lake Baringo, Kenya.
This paper presents data on the first identification, characterization and quantification of hepatotoxic microcystins and neurotoxic anatoxin-a in water samples of Lake Baringo, Kenya. The shallow turbid Lake Baringo was investigated five times between June 2001 and May 2002. The phytoplankton community was mainly dominated by the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Due to the high turbidity the phytoplankton biomass was low, ranging between 1.5 and 8.2 mg L-1. High mean total phosphorus concentration (1.0 mg L-1) and mean total nitrogen concentration (2.8 mg L-1) typical for hypertrophic lakes were found. Using HPLC technique the hepatotoxins microcystin-LR, -RR and -YR and the neurotoxin anatoxin-a were detected in the water samples. The microcystin concentrations varied from 310 to 19800 μg microcystin-LR equivalents g-1 DW and the anatoxin-a concentration ranged from 270 to 1260 μg g-1 DW. To our knowledge this is the first evidence of cyanobacterial toxins in Lake Baringo.
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| Format: | Report Section biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Freie Universität Berlin
2004
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| Subjects: | Biological poisons, Poisonous organisms, Bacteria, Phytoplankton, Cyanobacteria, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/7226 |
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| Summary: | This paper presents data on the first identification, characterization and quantification of
hepatotoxic microcystins and neurotoxic anatoxin-a in water samples of Lake Baringo,
Kenya. The shallow turbid Lake Baringo was investigated five times between June 2001 and
May 2002. The phytoplankton community was mainly dominated by the cyanobacterium
Microcystis aeruginosa. Due to the high turbidity the phytoplankton biomass was low,
ranging between 1.5 and 8.2 mg L-1. High mean total phosphorus concentration (1.0 mg L-1)
and mean total nitrogen concentration (2.8 mg L-1) typical for hypertrophic lakes were found.
Using HPLC technique the hepatotoxins microcystin-LR, -RR and -YR and the neurotoxin
anatoxin-a were detected in the water samples. The microcystin concentrations varied from
310 to 19800 μg microcystin-LR equivalents g-1 DW and the anatoxin-a concentration ranged
from 270 to 1260 μg g-1 DW. To our knowledge this is the first evidence of cyanobacterial
toxins in Lake Baringo. |
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