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. 1986 Sep 1;27(3):440–452. doi: 10.1186/BF03548157

Observations of Toxic Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) in Some Scandinavian Lakes

Funn av giftige blågrønnalger i endel skandinaviske innsjøer

Kjetil Berg 113,213,313,✉, Olav M Skulberg 113,213,313, Randi Skulberg 113,213,313, Bjarne Underdal 113,213,313, Torbjørn Willén 113,213,313
PMCID: PMC8189384  PMID: 3105274

Abstract

Blooms of blue-green algae from 51 eutrophic Scandinavian lakes were investigated during the period 1978–1984, to ascertain the occurrence of toxinogenic species.

Toxicity assays were performed by intraperitoneal injection of suspensions of freeze-dried algal material in mice. Toxin-producing blue-green algae were found in 30 lakes. They belonged to 11 different species of the six genera Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Gomphosphaeria, Microcystis, Nodularia and Oscillatoria.

The presence of toxinogenic strains of blue-green algae seemed quite constant in several of the localities studied. In some lakes, more than one toxic species were found to develop simultaneously. The level of toxicity showed large variation (MLD100, 6 to > 2500 mg/kg), but clinical and pathological changes were quite uniform.

The results indicate that water-blooms of toxin-producing blue-green algae, in the geographical area in question, are regionally widespread. In some localities, blooms of blue-green algae are apparently always toxic. Several aspects of the toxic blue-green algae problem are discussed.

Keywords: toxicity assays, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Gomphosphaeria, Microcystis, Nodularia, Oscillatoria

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Wayne W. Carmichael and Geoffrey A. Codd for helpful discussions, advice and encouragement during the preparation of this paper.

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