Harmful Algae Bloom Testing
Nostoc sp. is a cyanobacterium that produces Anatoxin and Saxitoxin, neurotoxins known to cause respiratory paralysis in humans, and illness or death to fish, waterfowl, dogs or livestock.
Harmful algae bloom (HAB), toxic algae, cyanobacteria, red tide – however you phrase it, this water quality issue is getting bigger every year and isn’t going away any time soon. At risk are ecosystem health, animal health, human health, recreational opportunity, potable water supply, and economic vitality. The threat is real.
According to the USEPA, 68% of Americans rely on surface water (lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams) for their drinking water supply. The USEPA 2012 National Lakes Assessment https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/nla found that 39% of lakes sampled had microcystin, an increase of 9.5% over the 2007 survey. Although microcystin and other algae toxins (anatoxin, saxitoxin, cylindrospermopsin, etc.) are not currently regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, they are on EPA’s Contaminant Candidate List and are listed in the Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR4), which bodes well for future regulation.
EcoAnalysts phycology laboratory provides testing for algae toxins in surface water. Using the Abraxis ELISA immunoassay test methods, we analyze for:
Microcystin
Cylindrospermopsin
Anatoxin-a
Algae Identification Services
Potentially toxigenic (PTOX) cyanobacteria screen – qualitative scan of your water sample to look for presence of cyanobacteria species.
Cyanobacteria identification and enumeration – quantitative analysis of cyanobacteria species identification and counts, with reporting in cells/ml.
Total algae identification and enumeration – quantitative analysis of all algae taxa, identification to genus or species level. Reporting of cell densities and community summary values such as diversity, richness, etc.
Algae biovolume – cell measurements made through the microscope to calculate total algae biovolume and biovolume by taxon.
Phytoplankton community analysis.
Periphyton community analysis – benthic algae, including diatom identification to species.
Photomicroscopy – digital images of algae taken through our high-resolution microscopes.
Pigments and Biomass
Chlorophyll a, and pheophytin – EPA methods 445 (fluorescence) and 446 (spectrophotometry).
Phycocyanin and phycoerythrin
Ash free dry mass
Dry weight
Field Sampling Kits
We can provide jars, preservatives, and guidance for the collection, preservation, and shipping of your samples to our laboratory.
Please see our Cyanotoxin Collection Quick Reference Guide for more information on collecting samples for algae toxin analysis.