Microcystin concentration in fishpond waters

Abstract

Cyanobacterial blooming is a worldwide problem which sometimes results in cyanotoxin production. Most commonly produced cyanotoxins are microcystins (MCs), potent inhibitors of protein phosphatases. Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is known to be involved in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes. In this study, MC concentration was assessed via inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1 assay) in water samples taken from 14 lakes of Mužlja fishpond, Vojvodina, Serbia. During the summer of 2011, cyanobacterial growth occured in the fishpond lakes and small, planktonic crustacean Daphnia sp. was used to control or/and prevent further development of cyanobacteria. Different MC concentrations (calculated as microcystin-LR equivalents) were detected, mostly depending on the occurrence and grazing of Daphnia sp. More thorough monitoring of fishponds should be conducted, both in Serbia and around the world, in order to gain more precise estimation of cyanotoxin concentrations and their accumulation in organisms used for human consumption and thus prevent possible negative health effects. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br.176020]

Keywords

• Daphnia
• fishpond
• Serbia
• cyanobacteria
• microcystin (MC)