Management of toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in Australia

Blue–Green algae (cyanobacteria) have long been recognized as a source of objectionable taste and odors in drinking water. In recent years, there has been increasing concern regarding toxic metabolites produced by some species. The species of most concern in Australia are Microcystis aeruginosa and Nodularia spumigena, which produce hepatotoxic peptides, Anabaena circinalis, which produces the same neurotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, which produces an alkaloid toxin associated with liver and kidney damage. There is also some concern that lipopolysaccharides, which may be produced by a number of blue–green algae, may be involved in human illness. Management strategies for water supplies should include measures in the catchments, source waters, and the distribution systems. An ability to monitor the organisms and their toxins in the source waters and the distribution systems is essential to determine the need for control measures and to determine their effectiveness. This article discusses the management approaches currently used in Australia and the areas of potential future development.