Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water Supply
Reservoirs and downstream rivers draining Oregon’s Cascade Range provide critical water supplies for over 1.5 million residents in dozens of communities. These waters also support planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria that produce cyanotoxins that may degrade water quality for drinking, recreation, a...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Phycology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/5/2/16 |
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| author | Kurt D. Carpenter Barry H. Rosen David Donahue Kari Duncan Brandin Hilbrandt Chris Lewis Kim Swan Tracy Triplett Elijah Welch |
| author_facet | Kurt D. Carpenter Barry H. Rosen David Donahue Kari Duncan Brandin Hilbrandt Chris Lewis Kim Swan Tracy Triplett Elijah Welch |
| author_sort | Kurt D. Carpenter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reservoirs and downstream rivers draining Oregon’s Cascade Range provide critical water supplies for over 1.5 million residents in dozens of communities. These waters also support planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria that produce cyanotoxins that may degrade water quality for drinking, recreation, aquatic life, and other beneficial uses. This 2016–2020 survey examined the sources and transport of four cyanotoxins—microcystins, cylindrospermopsins, anatoxins, and saxitoxins—in six river systems feeding 18 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in northwestern Oregon. Benthic cyanobacteria, plankton net tows, and (or) Solid-Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samples were collected from 65 sites, including tributaries, reservoirs, main stems, and sites at or upstream from DWTPs. Concentrated extracts (320 samples) were analyzed with enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assays (ELISA), resulting in >90% detection. Benthic cyanobacteria (<i>n</i> = 80) mostly <i>Nostoc, Phormidium, Microcoleus</i>, and <i>Oscillatoria,</i> yielded microcystins (76% detection), cylindrospermopsins (41%), anatoxins (45%), and saxitoxins (39%). Plankton net tow samples from tributaries and main stems (<i>n</i> = 94) contained saxitoxins (84%), microcystins (77%), anatoxins (25%), and cylindrospermopsins (22%), revealing their transport in seston. SPATT sampler extracts (<i>n</i> = 146) yielded anatoxins (81%), microcystins (66%), saxitoxins (37%), and cylindrospermopsins (32%), indicating their presence dissolved in the water. Reservoir plankton net tow samples (<i>n</i> = 15), most often containing <i>Dolichospermum</i>, yielded microcystins (87%), cylindrospermopsins (73%), and anatoxins (47%), but no saxitoxins. The high detection frequencies of cyanotoxins at sites upstream from DWTP intakes, and at sites popular for recreation, where salmon and steelhead continue to exist, highlight the need for additional study on these cyanobacteria and the factors that promote production of cyanotoxins to minimize effects on humans, aquatic ecosystems, and economies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e8f2ca6c71bf44febb011ec14455f909 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-9410 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e8f2ca6c71bf44febb011ec14455f9092025-08-20T03:16:36ZengMDPI AGPhycology2673-94102025-04-01521610.3390/phycology5020016Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water SupplyKurt D. Carpenter0Barry H. Rosen1David Donahue2Kari Duncan3Brandin Hilbrandt4Chris Lewis5Kim Swan6Tracy Triplett7Elijah Welch8U.S. Geological Survey Oregon Water Science Center, 601 SW Second Ave, Suite 1950, Portland, OR 97204, USADepartment of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Boulevard South, Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565, USAEugene Water & Electric Board, 3957 Hayden Bridge Rd., Springfield, OR 97477, USARockwood Water People’s Utility District, 19601 NE Halsey St, Portland, OR 97230, USANorth Santiam Watershed Council, 284 E Water St, Stayton, OR 97383, USACity of Estacada, 475 SE Main Street, Estacada, OR 97023, USAClackamas River Water Providers, 14275 S. Clackamas River Dr., Oregon City, OR 97045, USAClackamas River Water, 16770 SE 82nd Drive, Clackamas, OR 97015-2439, USACity of Salem Public Works, 1457 23rd Street SE, Salem, OR 97302, USAReservoirs and downstream rivers draining Oregon’s Cascade Range provide critical water supplies for over 1.5 million residents in dozens of communities. These waters also support planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria that produce cyanotoxins that may degrade water quality for drinking, recreation, aquatic life, and other beneficial uses. This 2016–2020 survey examined the sources and transport of four cyanotoxins—microcystins, cylindrospermopsins, anatoxins, and saxitoxins—in six river systems feeding 18 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in northwestern Oregon. Benthic cyanobacteria, plankton net tows, and (or) Solid-Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samples were collected from 65 sites, including tributaries, reservoirs, main stems, and sites at or upstream from DWTPs. Concentrated extracts (320 samples) were analyzed with enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assays (ELISA), resulting in >90% detection. Benthic cyanobacteria (<i>n</i> = 80) mostly <i>Nostoc, Phormidium, Microcoleus</i>, and <i>Oscillatoria,</i> yielded microcystins (76% detection), cylindrospermopsins (41%), anatoxins (45%), and saxitoxins (39%). Plankton net tow samples from tributaries and main stems (<i>n</i> = 94) contained saxitoxins (84%), microcystins (77%), anatoxins (25%), and cylindrospermopsins (22%), revealing their transport in seston. SPATT sampler extracts (<i>n</i> = 146) yielded anatoxins (81%), microcystins (66%), saxitoxins (37%), and cylindrospermopsins (32%), indicating their presence dissolved in the water. Reservoir plankton net tow samples (<i>n</i> = 15), most often containing <i>Dolichospermum</i>, yielded microcystins (87%), cylindrospermopsins (73%), and anatoxins (47%), but no saxitoxins. The high detection frequencies of cyanotoxins at sites upstream from DWTP intakes, and at sites popular for recreation, where salmon and steelhead continue to exist, highlight the need for additional study on these cyanobacteria and the factors that promote production of cyanotoxins to minimize effects on humans, aquatic ecosystems, and economies.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/5/2/16drinking watercyanotoxinsharmful cyanobacteria algal blooms (CyanoHABs)benthic cyanobacteriaCascade Range rivers |
| spellingShingle | Kurt D. Carpenter Barry H. Rosen David Donahue Kari Duncan Brandin Hilbrandt Chris Lewis Kim Swan Tracy Triplett Elijah Welch Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water Supply Phycology drinking water cyanotoxins harmful cyanobacteria algal blooms (CyanoHABs) benthic cyanobacteria Cascade Range rivers |
| title | Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water Supply |
| title_full | Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water Supply |
| title_fullStr | Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water Supply |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water Supply |
| title_short | Reservoir and Riverine Sources of Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers Tapped for Drinking Water Supply |
| title_sort | reservoir and riverine sources of cyanotoxins in oregon s cascade range rivers tapped for drinking water supply |
| topic | drinking water cyanotoxins harmful cyanobacteria algal blooms (CyanoHABs) benthic cyanobacteria Cascade Range rivers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9410/5/2/16 |
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