US EPA

2545860 

Journal Article 

Review 

Immunoassays and biosensors for the detection of cyanobacterial toxins in water 

Weller, MG 

2013 

1 

Sensors
ISSN: 1424-8220 

MDPI AG 

13 

11 

15085-15112 

English 

24196435 

10.3390/s131115085 

WOS:000330321100045 

Algal blooms are a frequent phenomenon in nearly all kinds of fresh water. Global warming and eutrophication by waste water, air pollution and fertilizers seem to lead to an increased frequency of occurrence. Many cyanobacteria produce hazardous and quite persistent toxins, which can contaminate the respective water bodies. This may limit the use of the raw water for many purposes. The purification of the contaminated water might be quite costly, which makes a continuous and large scale treatment economically unfeasible in many cases. Due to the obvious risks of algal toxins, an online or mobile detection method would be highly desirable. Several biosensor systems have been presented in the literature for this purpose. In this review, their mode of operation, performance and general suitability for the intended purpose will be described and critically discussed. Finally, an outlook on current developments and future prospects will be given. 

algal toxins; cyanotoxins; biotoxins; blue-green algae; harmful algal blooms; microcystins; nodularins; anatoxin-a; anatoxin-a(s); cylindrospermopsin; saxitoxins