SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency March 2019 Freshwater HABs Newsletter EPA Awards Grants to the New Jersey Institute of Technology for Innovative Technology Project on Cvanotoxins Removal On March 18th, the EPA announced the 21 teams of undergraduate and graduate students across the country receiving funding to develop sustainable technologies to help solve environmental and public health challenges through its People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) grants program. Grantees from the New Jersey Institute of Technology at Newark will work on the project: Development of Reactive Nanobubble Systems for Efficient and Scalable Harmful Algae and Cyanotoxin Removal. To learn more about the P3 research projects, visit the EPA website here. Preliminary Report on Air Sampling of Particle-Associated Microcvstins and BMAA, Pilot Study in Lee County, Florida: Fall 2018 - Winter 2019 The Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) researchers funded by NOAA HAB Event Response program has successfully piloted an air sampling program capable of measuring airborne cyanotoxin and cyanobacteria cell particle levels and determining particle sizes. The FGCU report provides preliminary results from a short-term air sampler deployment during the west coast FL cyanobacteria bloom in 2018. A summary of the project could be found here. Training Opportunities at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory ECOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS OF ALGAE - June 10th - July 5th, 2019 An ecological perspective is used to explore the diversity of photosynthetic microbes that form the energy base of freshwater ecosystems, including cyanobacteria, green algae, and diatoms. Students will learn techniques in collection, preparation, and identification of algae. Lectures will cover all algal groups' taxonomy, systematics, and ecology. Environmental and economic concerns caused by algal growth will be examined. Field collections will be used to identify common genera of algae, study life histories, and examine environmental factors that affect growth and distribution. This is an intensive, field-oriented class appropriate for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-graduate workers in bioassessment, algal ecology, and taxonomy. Students are encouraged to bring individual research materials, and there will be opportunities to discuss research approaches using algae. Students should have a working knowledge of basic biology. Class size is limited to 10. Instructor: Kalina Manoylov, Georgia Coll. & State University. Tuition: Undergraduate per credit: $324.00/Graduate per credit: $548.00 For more information or register go to: https://iowalakesidelab.org/courses UPCOMING EVENTS EPA WEBINARS: Preparing for HABs Season 2019 Planning and Responding to Cvanotoxins in Drinking Water April 25th, 2019 11:00 EST CONFERENCES 3rd Interdisciplinary Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms Workshop April 24 - 26, 2019 Toronto, Ontario 11th International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria May 5-10, 2019 Krakow, Poland IAGLR 2019 Conference June 10-14, 2019 Brockport, NY 2019 Gordon Research Conference on Mvcotoxins and Phvcotoxins: Risk and Regulation in a Multi-Toxin Exposure World June 16-21, 2019 Stonehill College, Easton, MA 10th US HAB Symposium Nov 3-8, 2019 Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, Alabama NOTICE: We're in the process of revamping the EPA's Cyanobacteria Website. The website can be assessed using this temporary link. Apologies for the inconvenience, we expect the issue to be resolved soon. This newsletter was created by Dr. Lesley D'Analada. Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water. Mention of trade names, products, or services does not convey and should not be interpreted as conveying official EPA endorsement, approval or recommendation for use. ------- BIOOMS, BEACH CLOSURES and HEALTH ADVISORIES * March 2019 A Florida (2) A Maryland (1) (Prorocentrum minimum bloom at the Maryland Coastal Bay) A Ohio (1) A Oregon (1) * Include blooms, cautions, warnings, public health advisories, closings and detections over the State's threshold, due to the presence of algae, toxins or both. Many States have closed the season for HABs monitoring efforts. Monitoring will begin on late spring or early summer. Recently Published Articles Early warning method for cvanobacteria toxin, taste and odor problems bv the evaluation of fluorescence signals C. Moldaenke, Y. Fang, F. Yang, A. Dahlhaus. Science of the total Environment. 667. 2019. Pp. 681-690. Potential of biological approaches for cvanotoxin removal from drinking water: A review Pratik Kumar, Krishnamoorthy Hegde, Satinder Kaur Brar, Maximiliano Cledon, Azadeh Kermanshahi-pour, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Volume 172, 2019, pp. 488-503 Removal of cvanotoxins bv potassium permanganate: Incorporating competition from natural water constituents Juliana R. Laszakovits, Allison A. MacKay, Water Research, Volume 155, 2019, pp. 86-95 Impacts of microbial assemblage and environmental conditions on the distribution of anatoxin-a producing cvanobacteria within a river network Keith Bouma-Gregson, Matthew R. Olm, Alexander J. Probst, Karthik Anantharaman, Mary E. Power and Jillian F. Banfield. ISME JOurnal, February 2019. Insights into carbon acouisition and photosynthesis in Karenia brevis under a range of CQ2 concentrations T.L. Bercel, S.A. Kranz. Progress in Oceanography, 2019; 172: 65 Bioaccumulation of microcvstins in seston, zooplankton and fish: A case study in Lake Zumpango, Mexico Cesar Alejandro Zamora-Barrios, S. Nandini, S.S.S. Sarma, Environmental Pollution, Volume 249, 2019, pp. 267-276. Effects of cvlindrospermopsin on cultured immortalized human airway epithelial cells Barbara Kubickova, Petra Laboha, Jan-Peter Hildebrandt, Klara Hilscherova, Pavel Babica. Chemosphere, Volume 220, 2019, pp. 620-628 Cvanobacteria I blooms in the central basin of Lake Erie: Potentials for cvanotoxins and environmental drivers Justin D. Chaffin, Sachidananda Mishra, Douglas D. Kane, Darren L. Bade, Keara Stanislawczyk, Kristen N. Slodysko, Kevin W. Jones, Eric M. Parker, Erica L. Fox. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 2019 Widespread occurrence of retinoids in water bodies associated with cvanobacteria I blooms dominated bv diverse species Ludek Sehnal, Tereza Prochazkova, Marie Smutna, Jiff Kohoutek, Olga Lepsova-Skacelova, Klara Hilscherova, Water Research, 2019. Toxins Journal Topical Collection "Freshwater HABs and Health in a Changing World" Manuscripts on cyanobacterial exposure assessment; health outcomes; outbreak investigations; wild and domestic animal poisonings; toxicology of cyanobacterial toxins in animals and humans, production of toxins in the environment, absorption, distribution, and elimination of toxins in animals and humans, and the control of toxins in the built and natural environment, are invited. Go to www.mdpi.com and register to login and to submit a manuscript. ------- |