Detection of airborne endotoxins and toxins from cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms and the effect of atmospheric oxidants on their longevity and potency

检测空气中的内毒素和蓝藻有害藻华毒素以及大气氧化剂对其寿命和效力的影响

• 批准号: 2133870
• 负责人: Josephine Aller
• 金额: $ 33万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Stony Brook
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2133870&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Detection; airborne; endotoxins; toxins; cyanobacterial

Algae and cyanobacteria naturally inhabit lakes and other aquatic environments. Some of these species can grow out of control forming dense cell concentrations or harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs are caused by excess inputs of nutrients and warmer temperatures, and they are increasingly common in waterbodies throughout the U.S. and globally. Some cyanobacteria produce toxins (‘cyanotoxins’) that can harm people and animals, with associated economic costs due to impacts on drinking water supplies and recreational activities. Humans are exposed to these toxins through skin contact, drinking water, and eating contaminated shellfish. Less well understood is the potential inhalation of airborne cyanotoxins, which likely results from wind blowing over water surfaces that cause bubbles to burst and spread particles into the air. The goal of this research is to understand the link between cyanotoxin production during HABs to their presence and lifetime in the air. This goal will be achieved by monitoring cyanotoxins in small lakes in eastern Long Island, New York, which are known to have HABs during summer months. At the same time, air samples will be collected onto filters and examined for the presence of cyanotoxins. The research will compare these field results over multiple HAB events to assess relationships. Successful completion of this research will help close this important knowledge gap and help assess the potential impacts on human and ecosystem health. These results will be shared with local and state governmental agencies to provide information for citizens to stay healthy. Additional benefits to society result from dissemination of data that can be used to develop public policy for the management of water resources. The increase in frequency, severity, and geographical extent of HABs in aquatic ecosystems has resulted in an increased likelihood of cyanotoxin exposure in areas that experience recurrent blooms. HABs caused by Microcystis aeruginosa represent a clear example of the synergistic impact of eutrophication and warming. Excess nutrients promote increases in biomass and enhanced production of microcystins, a process that is enhanced at warmer temperatures. During a bloom, spray aerosol produced via wind blowing over the water and bubble bursting processes can incorporate intact cells, microcystins, and cell fragments that exist in respirable size fractions PM-10 and PM-2.5. This project is based on evidence that spray aerosol can promote acute respiratory distress great distances from source blooms. The overall goal of this project is to elucidate connections between cyanotoxin production in aquatic systems and airborne transport of cyanotoxins. This will be achieved through field collection of aerosolized particles using a high-volume air sampler/impaction system that allows real-time spatiotemporal collection of aerosol microcystins and endotoxins. The longevity and potency of airborne toxins will be examined considering changes in photochemical reactivity and meteorological conditions. Laboratory experiments that mimic atmospheric oxidation processes will assess the chemical stability of the airborne toxins relative to their residence time in the atmosphere. The interdisciplinary research team combines necessary expertise in HAB ecology, microbiology, environmental organic chemistry, environmental engineering, and atmospheric aerosol science to achieve the project objectives. Successful completion of this research will provide critical public health information for proactive responses to potential events at time scales relevant to the HAB management community and other relevant stakeholders.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

藻类和蓝细菌自然居住在湖泊和其他水生环境中。这些物种中的某些物种可以从控制中生长出形成致密的细胞浓度或有害的藻类血液（HAB）。 HAB是由养分和温度较高的过量输入引起的，在美国和全球的水体中，它们越来越普遍。一些蓝细菌会产生可能损害人和动物的毒素（“氰毒素”），并且由于对饮用水供应和娱乐活动的影响而产生的经济成本。人类通过皮肤接触，饮用水和吃污染的贝类暴露于这些毒素。不太了解的是，可能吸入空气传播的蓝毒素，这可能是由于在水面上吹风而导致气泡破裂并扩散到空气中的风。这项研究的目的是了解HAB期间的氰毒素产生与它们在空中的存在和寿命之间的联系。该目标将通过监测纽约东部长岛的小湖泊的蓝毒素来实现，纽约夏季众所周知有HABS。同时，将将空气样品收集到过滤器上，并检查是否存在氰毒素。该研究将在多个HAB事件中比较这些领域的结果以评估关系。成功完成这项研究将有助于缩小这一重要的知识差距，并有助于评估对人类和生态系统健康的潜在影响。这些结果将与地方和州政府机构共享，以提供公民保持健康的信息。由于传播数据的传播，可用于制定水资源管理的公共政策而产生的其他好处。水生生态系统中HAB的频率，严重程度和地理范围的增加导致在经历复发血液的地区的氰毒素暴露的可能性增加。由铜绿藻引起的HAB是富营养化和变暖的协同影响的一个明确的例子。多余的营养促进了生物量的增加并增强了微囊蛋白的产生，这一过程在温度较高的温度下得到了增强。在开花过程中，通过风吹过的水和气泡爆发过程产生的喷雾气溶胶可以结合完整的细胞，微囊藻和细胞碎片，这些细胞和细胞碎片存在于可吸入的大小较大级数PM-10和PM-2.5中。该项目基于证据表明，喷雾气溶胶可以促进与源血液相距较大的急性呼吸距离。该项目的总体目标是阐明水生系统中的氰毒素产生与氰毒素的空气传输之间的连接。这将通过使用大量空气采样器/撞击系统的现场收集雾化颗粒来实现，该系统允许实时空间时间收集气溶胶微囊蛋白和内毒素。考虑到光化学反应性和气象条件的变化，将检查空气传播毒素的寿命和效力。模拟大气氧化过程的实验室实验将评估空气中毒素相对于它们在大气中的停留时间的化学稳定性。跨学科研究团队结合了HAB生态学，微生物学，环境有机化学，环境工程和大气气溶胶科学的必要专业知识，以实现项目目标。这项研究的成功完成将为与HAB管理社区和其他相关利益相关的时间尺度上的积极回应提供关键的公共卫生信息。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响标准通过评估来评估的。