TRACING CYANOBACTERIAL BLOOMS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF WASTEWATERS DISCHARGES ON COASTAL AREAS AND LAKES

The rapid detection of cyanobacterial blooms has become an emerging and urgent need during the last years due to the increasing number of cyanobacterial harmful blooms (CHABs) all over the world. The main responsibility of this phenomenon is attributable to the nutrient enrichment, resulting from eutrophication processes of anthropogenic origin. The blooms deplete oxygen in surface waters through excessive bacterial respiration and decomposition and often release toxic substances (cyanotoxins) causing fish mortality and risks for public health. We have initiated a worldwide program for the early detection of cyanobacterial blooms using combined techniques based on chemical/biochemical analyses of samples collected on specific sites identified with remote/proximal sensing tools. Here we report our results obtained from the analysis of cyanobacterial blooms using a new powerful approach based on the combined use of LCMS/MS (Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry) and Molecular Networking to detect the presence of known and novel cyanotoxins. In addition, we report the most recent results from our case studies on specific coastal areas and lakes, where the presence of cyanobacteria was confirmed to be related to the excess nutrient input of anthropogenic origin, resulting from wastewater discharges or runoff from fertilisers and manure spread on agricultural areas. The monitoring of bloom occurrence, composition, frequency and chemistry can provide important indicators of degraded water quality, supporting the Government Bodies in the evaluation of effectiveness of wastewater plans that insist on a specific coastal area.

[1]  Roberta Teta,et al.  Smenamides A and B, Chlorinated Peptide/Polyketide Hybrids Containing a Dolapyrrolidinone Unit from the Caribbean Sponge Smenospongia aurea. Evaluation of Their Role as Leads in Antitumor Drug Research , 2013, Marine drugs.

[2]  Tiit Kutser,et al.  Monitoring cyanobacterial blooms by satellite remote sensing , 2006 .

[3]  Roberta Teta,et al.  Isolation and Assessment of the in Vitro Anti-Tumor Activity of Smenothiazole A and B, Chlorinated Thiazole-Containing Peptide/Polyketides from the Caribbean Sponge, Smenospongia aurea , 2015, Marine drugs.

[4]  M. Lega,et al.  GIS And IR Aerial View: Advanced Tools for the Early Detection of Environmental Violations , 2014 .

[5]  Nuno Bandeira,et al.  Mass spectral molecular networking of living microbial colonies , 2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[6]  F. Russo,et al.  Using Advanced Aerial Platforms and Infrared Thermography to Track Environmental Contamination , 2012 .

[7]  Timothy W Davis,et al.  Preface for Special Issue on "Global expansion of harmful cyanobacterial blooms: Diversity, ecology, causes, and controls". , 2016, Harmful algae.

[8]  Guglielmina Fantuzzi,et al.  Guidelines for safe recreational water environments.Volume 1, coastal and fresh water , 2010 .

[9]  M Lega,et al.  Remote sensing in environmental police investigations: aerial platforms and an innovative application of thermography to detect several illegal activities , 2014, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.

[10]  Roberta Teta,et al.  Polyketide Synthases in the Microbiome of the Marine Sponge Plakortis halichondrioides: A Metagenomic Update , 2014, Marine drugs.

[11]  Kenneth B. Tomer,et al.  The isolation and structure of a remarkable marine animal antineoplastic constituent: dolastatin 10 , 1987 .

[12]  H. Paerl,et al.  Blooms Like It Hot , 2008, Science.

[13]  Roberta Teta,et al.  Amphiceramide A and B, Novel Glycosphingolipids from the Marine Sponge Amphimedon compressa , 2009 .

[14]  Lena Gerwick,et al.  Combined LC-MS/MS and Molecular Networking Approach Reveals New Cyanotoxins from the 2014 Cyanobacterial Bloom in Green Lake, Seattle. , 2015, Environmental science & technology.

[15]  Liang Hong,et al.  Remote sensing recognition, concentration classification and dynamic analysis of cyanobacteria bloom in Dianchi Lake based on MODIS data , 2012, 2012 20th International Conference on Geoinformatics.

[16]  Luisa Verdoliva,et al.  Detection of environmental hazards through the feature-based fusion of optical and SAR data: a case study in southern Italy , 2015 .

[17]  William Gerwick,et al.  Polyketide genes in the marine sponge Plakortis simplex: a new group of mono-modular type I polyketide synthases from sponge symbionts , 2013, Environmental microbiology reports.

[18]  M. Lega,et al.  Cultural Heritage And Waste Heritage:Advanced Techniques To Preserve CulturalHeritage, Exploring Just In Time The RuinsProduced By Disasters And Natural Calamities , 2010 .

[19]  Luca Cicala,et al.  IDES project: an advanced tool to investigate illegal dumping , 2013 .