Analysis and differentiation of toxic and non-toxic cyanobacteria using Raman spectroscopy

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can produce cyanotoxins which can be harmful to animals and humans and can affect the ecosystem as well as the water quality. In marine or fresh water the cyanobacteria can grow to dense blooms with a high concentration of cells within a few days. Consequently, a fast and ideally real-time observation and analysis of cyanobacterial blooms is very important to ensure safety. We present a Raman spectroscopic approach to investigate and differentiate toxic and non-toxic cyanobacteria. For this, features of the acquired Raman spectra are highlighted to identify harmful cyanobacteria.