Cyanobacterial Toxins and Peptides in Lake Vegoritis, Greece
Sevasti-Kiriaki Zervou,
Kimon Moschandreou,
Aikaterina Paraskevopoulou,
Christophoros Christophoridis,
Elpida Grigoriadou,
Triantafyllos Kaloudis,
Theodoros M. Triantis,
Vasiliki Tsiaoussi,
Anastasia Hiskia
Affiliations
Sevasti-Kiriaki Zervou
Laboratory of Photo-Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Patriarchou Grigoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
Kimon Moschandreou
The Goulandris Natural History Museum—Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre, 14th km Thessaloniki-Mihaniona, Thermi P.O. Box 60394, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Aikaterina Paraskevopoulou
Laboratory of Photo-Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Patriarchou Grigoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
Christophoros Christophoridis
Laboratory of Photo-Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Patriarchou Grigoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
Elpida Grigoriadou
Water Resources Management Agency of West Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Decentralized Administration of Epirus—Western Macedonia, Greece
Triantafyllos Kaloudis
Laboratory of Photo-Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Patriarchou Grigoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
Theodoros M. Triantis
Laboratory of Photo-Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Patriarchou Grigoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
Vasiliki Tsiaoussi
The Goulandris Natural History Museum—Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre, 14th km Thessaloniki-Mihaniona, Thermi P.O. Box 60394, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Anastasia Hiskia
Laboratory of Photo-Catalytic Processes and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Patriarchou Grigoriou E & 27 Neapoleos Str, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece
Cyanotoxins (CTs) produced by cyanobacteria in surface freshwater are a major threat for public health and aquatic ecosystems. Cyanobacteria can also produce a wide variety of other understudied bioactive metabolites such as oligopeptides microginins (MGs), aeruginosins (AERs), aeruginosamides (AEGs) and anabaenopeptins (APs). This study reports on the co-occurrence of CTs and cyanopeptides (CPs) in Lake Vegoritis, Greece and presents their variant-specific profiles obtained during 3-years of monitoring (2018–2020). Fifteen CTs (cylindrospermopsin (CYN), anatoxin (ATX), nodularin (NOD), and 12 microcystins (MCs)) and ten CPs (3 APs, 4 MGs, 2 AERs and aeruginosamide (AEG A)) were targeted using an extended and validated LC-MS/MS protocol for the simultaneous determination of multi-class CTs and CPs. Results showed the presence of MCs (MC-LR, MC-RR, MC-YR, dmMC-LR, dmMC-RR, MC-HtyR, and MC-HilR) and CYN at concentrations of <1 μg/L, with MC-LR (79%) and CYN (71%) being the most frequently occurring. Anabaenopeptins B (AP B) and F (AP F) were detected in almost all samples and microginin T1 (MG T1) was the most abundant CP, reaching 47.0 μg/L. This is the first report of the co-occurrence of CTs and CPs in Lake Vegoritis, which is used for irrigation, fishing and recreational activities. The findings support the need for further investigations of the occurrence of CTs and the less studied cyanobacterial metabolites in lakes, to promote risk assessment with relevance to human exposure.
