Cyanobacteria and toxin dynamics in drinking water sources

在过去的十年中，加拿大和世界范围内蓝藻繁殖的数量和范围都有所增加。在加拿大，许多社区从受蓝藻影响的水源获取饮用水。在受水华影响的水体中，蓝藻细菌和蓝藻毒素可以在饮用水处理过程中积累并破坏水处理。总体研究目标是表征和量化蓝藻和蓝藻毒素在受影响的饮用水处理厂造成的风险。长期目标是为饮用水处理厂经营者制定一种方法，利用受影响的饮用水处理厂风险管理所需的模型和实时监测方法实时评估风险。具体的研究目标是：(1)确定一组与藻蓝蛋白相关的蓝藻毒素的命运，用于体内监测；(2)确定与蓝藻华相关的细菌，并确定它们对供水是有益还是有害；(3)将蓝藻毒素命运的动力学模型整合到水动力学模型中，以确定蓝藻华影响下蓝藻毒素在饮用水摄入量中的运输和命运。(4)将模型和/或实验室结果与三家受反复蓝藻华影响的饮用水处理厂的监测结果进行比较，(5)采用一种方法对加拿大饮用水摄入量进行蓝藻/微生物风险评估。三个饮用水源将配备体内藻蓝蛋白探针，以便在整个研究过程中连续监测蓝藻密度。将在现场收集高频率水华事件样本，用于藻类种类分类计数和蓝藻毒素浓度。一系列的实验室实验将通过吸附、光降解和生物降解过程来确定一系列蓝藻毒素和藻蓝蛋白的命运。将确定藻蓝蛋白与毒素降解之间的相互作用。实验室结果将用于开发蓝藻毒素命运的动力学模型，并将整合到三个研究地点之一的Missisquoi湾新开发的原始蓝藻运输3D流体动力学模型中。蓝藻的一个独特特征是它们能够控制自己在水柱内的运动，因此它们的位置除了浮力外，还部分受到水动力的控制。因此，蓝藻不像大多数水生污染物的行为，因为他们能够控制自己的位置在水柱。我们的模型将整合这种独特的行为蓝藻，以了解蓝藻和蓝藻毒素的风险在饮用水处理厂。拟议的研究将利用广泛的设备资源，通过加拿大创新基金会的赠款，用于监测蓝藻和毒素，以及以前开发蓝藻运输的新流体动力学模型的工作。还将利用与安大略省和魁省的市政饮用水供应商正在进行的合作，并将为培训高素质人员（HQP）提供独特的研究机会，这些人员将受益于使用最先进的研究设备，此外还将与水管理人员和公用事业公司直接互动，他们将从所进行的研究中受益。此外，蒙特里萨理工学院的研究环境是高度支持的，HQP将在一个具有良好培训HQP记录的团队中进行培训，并拥有广泛的本地，国家和国际合作者网络。

In the past decade, there has been an increase in the numbers and extent of cyanobacterial blooms in Canada and worldwide. In Canada, many communities obtain their drinking water from sources impacted by cyanobacteria. In water bodies affected by the blooms, cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins can accumulate within drinking water treatment processes and disrupt water treatment. The overall research goal is to characterize and quantify the risk posed by cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins at impacted drinking water treatment plants. The long-term objective is to develop a methodology for drinking water treatment plant operators to assess the risk in real-time using models and real-time monitoring approaches that are needed for risk management at affected drinking water treatment plants. The specific research objectives are to: (1) determine the fate of a suite of cyanotoxins in relation to phycocyanin used for in vivo monitoring, (2) identify the bacteria that are associated with cyanobacterial blooms and determine whether they are beneficial or detrimental for water supplies, (3) integrate the kinetic model of cyanotoxin fate into a hydrodynamic model to determine the transport of cyanobacteria and the fate of cyanotoxins to drinking water intakes affected by cyanobacterial blooms, (4) compare model and/or laboratory results with monitoring at three drinking water treatment plants affected by recurrent cyanobacteria blooms, and (5) adapt a methodology for cyanobacterial/microbial risk assessment at Canadian drinking water intakes. Three drinking water sources will be equipped with in vivo phycocyanin probes for continuous monitoring of cyanobacterial densities throughout the study. High frequency bloom event samples will be collected at the field sites for taxonomic counts of algal species and concentrations of cyanotoxins. A series of laboratory experiments will be performed to determine the fate of a series of cyanotoxins and phycocyanin via sorption, photodegradation, and biodegradation processes. The interactions between phycocyanin and the degradation of toxins will be determined. The laboratory results will be used to develop a kinetic model of cyanotoxin fate and will be integrated into a newly developed and original 3D hydrodynamic model of cyanobacterial transport at Missisquoi Bay, one of the three study sites. A unique characteristic of cyanobacteria is their ability to control their movement within the water column, and thus their position will be controlled partly by hydrodynamic forces in addition to their buoyancy. Thus, cyanobacteria do not behave like most waterborne contaminants as they are capable of controlling their position within the water column. Our model will integrate this unique behaviour of cyanobacteria in order to understand cyanobacteria and cyanotoxin risk at drinking water treatment plants. The proposed research will leverage extensive equipment resources available through a grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation for monitoring cyanobacteria and toxins and previous work on the development of a new hydrodynamic model of cyanobacteria transport. Ongoing collaborations with municipal drinking water providers in Ontario and Québec will also be leveraged and will provide a unique research opportunity for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) who will benefit from the use of state of the art research equipment in addition to direct interaction with the water managers and utilities who are among those who will benefit from the research produced. In addition, the research environment at Polytechnique Montréal is highly supportive and HQP will be trained within a group with a strong record of training HQP and an extensive network of local, national and international collaborators.