TABLE 3.
Typical concentrations of geosmin (GE) and 2-MIB in different habitats, microorganisms, and drinking water
| Source | Details | Concna | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cultures | |||
| Cyanobacteria | Oscillatoria brevis, light limited | 0.35 μg GE mg (dry wt)−1 = 58 μg GE mg Chl a−1 | 57 |
| Anabaena lemmermannii, P limited, total GE | 0.15 μg GE mg (dry wt)−1 = 670 μg GE mg Chl a−1 | Wab | |
| A. lemmermannii, P limited, cell-bound GE | 0.14 μg GE mg (dry wt)−1 = 500 μg GE mg Chl a−1 | Wa | |
| A. lemmermannii, P replete, total GE | 0.5 μg GE mg (dry wt)−1 = 850 μg GE mg Chl a−1 | Wa | |
| A. lemmermannii, P replete, cell-bound GE | 0.41 μg GE mg (dry wt)−1 = 700 μg GE mg Chl a−1 | Wa | |
| Streptomycetes | Streptomyces tendae, grown on different agars | 0.25-33 (52)c ng GE mg (dry wt)−1 | 18 |
| Lake water | |||
| Temperate/subpolar | Oligotrophic (various; Canada) | 0-5 ng GE liter−1 | Wa |
| Mesotrophic; Lake Zürich (depth and seasonal differences) | 2.7-23 ng GE liter−1 | 19 | |
| Subtropical | Eutrophic; Central Europe, shallow lake | 600 ng GE liter−1 | 45 |
| Eutrophic; Lake Kasumigaura, Japan | Up to 900 ng liter−1 2-MIB and 700 ng liter−1 GE | 110 | |
| Various reservoirs in South Africa | 150-3,170 ng GE liter−1 | 106 | |
| Spatial/temporal | Central Europe (eutrophic) | ||
| Oxic epilimnion | 50 ng GE liter−1 | 26 | |
| Anoxic hypolimnion | 950 ng GE liter−1 | 26 | |
| Winter turnover | 3 ng GE liter−1 | 26 | |
| Running water | Australia (Carcoar Dam) | 4,000 ng GE liter−1 | 39 |
| Canada/United States (St. Lawrence River) | 2-40 ng 2-MIB liter−1; 5-40 ng GE liter−1 | 102 | |
| Central Europe (streams; Zürich, Switzerland) | 3-7 ng GE liter−1 (mostly dissolved) | 43 | |
| Japan (Sakagawa River, polluted; Tokyo) | 3,600 ng MIB liter−1; 30 ng GE liter−1 | 53 | |
| Mediterranean area (Llobregat River) | 15-20 (200) ng GE liter−1 | 97 | |
| Tropical Africa (Senegal River) | 47 ng GE liter−1 | 7 | |
| Dammed river (Ruhr River, Germany) | 2-MIB (<MDL); 35 ng GE liter−1 | 42 | |
| Biofilms | Benthic cyanobacteria, aqueduct water (California) | Up to 78 ng 2-MIB liter−1; 48 ng GE liter−1 | 36 |
| Attached biofilms (Tokyo, Japan) | 100 ng GE mg (dry wt)−1 = 6,300 ng GE cm−2 | 53 | |
| Canada (oligotrophic; N. Alberta streams) | <MDL up to 18 ng GE cm−2 | Wa | |
| Floating biofilms (Spain) | 1,000 ng GE mg (dry wt)−1 = 36,500 ng GE cm−2 | 97 | |
| Aquatic GE concn from floating biofilms | 10-100 ng GE liter−1 | 8 | |
| Drinking water | |||
| Customer complaints | United States | 46-88 ng GE liter−1 | 8 |
| Canada | (5) 10-120 ng GE liter−1 | Wa | |
| Odor episodes | France | 2-10 ng GE or 2-MIB liter−1 | 7 |
a
Chl a, chlorophyll a; MDL, minimum detection level.
b
Wa, S. B. Watson, unpublished data.
c
Values in parentheses represent single minimum or maximum values observed which were not included in the more typical range shown.