US EPA

7479448 

Journal Article 

Environmental abundance and microcystin-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis in Nanquan region of Lake Taihu 

Li, X; Yuan, J; Yang, F; Yin, L; Liang, G; Zhang, J; Pu, Y 

2010 

0 

Journal of Southeast University
ISSN: 1003-7985 

26 

1 

96-99 

English 

The variations of environmental abundance and microcystin-LR (MC-LR) production ability of toxic Microcystis in the Nanquan region of Lake Taihu are investigated by real-time quantitative PCR (RTQ-PCR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from May to December in 2009. Simultaneously, degrees of water pollution and eutrophication are monitored. The results indicate that the water quality in the Nanquan region of Lake Taihu is in a moderate degree of pollution and eutrophication. Algal density exceeds the threshold of bloom from May to November. The environmental abundance of toxic Microcystis is more than 40% from May to October and then significantly declines to 5.66% due to the obvious reduction in the water temperature in December. From May to December, the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis ranges from 1.661 to 9.293 μg/108 cells. With the significant drops in water temperature and algal density, the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis is obviously increased from November to December. It is concluded that the lake presents Microcystis bloom and the toxic Microcystis becomes dominant during most of the year. The environmental abundance and the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis have a close relationship with water temperature. The effective control of toxic Microcystis should be considered in both the bloom period and the non-bloom period of winter since the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis obviously increases in winter. Copyright. 

Algae; Environmental abundance; Eutrophication; Lake pollution; Lake Taihu; Microcystins; Environmental abundance; Lake taihu; Microcystin-LR; Microcystins; Microcystis; Real-time quantitative PCR; Water temperatures; Algae; Blooms (metal); Eutrophication; High performance liquid chromatography; Lakes; Pollution; Toxic materials; Water quality; Lake pollution