Cyanobacteria and toxin dynamics in drinking water sources

在过去的十年中，在加拿大和世界范围内，蓝藻水华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得饮用水。在受水华影响的水体中，蓝细菌和藻毒素会在饮用水处理过程中积累并扰乱水处理。总体研究目标是描述和量化受影响的饮用水处理厂的蓝藻和蓝藻毒素造成的风险。长期目标是为饮用水处理厂运营商制定一种方法，利用受影响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）确定与用于体内监测的藻蓝蛋白相关的一组藻毒素的命运，（2）鉴定与蓝藻水华相关的细菌并确定它们对供水是有益的还是有害的，（三）将蓝藻毒素归宿的动力学模型整合到流体动力学模型中，以确定蓝藻的运输和蓝藻毒素在饮用水中的归宿受蓝藻水华影响的摄入量，（4）比较模型和/或实验室结果与受反复蓝藻水华影响的三个饮用水处理厂的监测结果，以及（5）适应加拿大饮用水摄入量的蓝藻/微生物风险评估方法。三个饮用水源将配备体内藻蓝蛋白探针，用于在整个研究过程中连续监测蓝藻密度。 将在现场采集高频率水华事件样本，用于藻类物种的分类计数和蓝藻毒素的浓度。一系列的实验室实验将进行，以确定通过吸附，光降解和生物降解过程中的一系列的蓝藻毒素和藻蓝蛋白的命运。将确定藻蓝蛋白和毒素降解之间的相互作用。实验室的结果将被用来开发一个动力学模型的蓝藻命运，并将被整合到一个新开发的和原始的三维水动力学模型的蓝藻运输在Missisquoi湾，三个研究地点之一。蓝细菌的一个独特的特点是它们能够控制它们在水柱中的运动，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，蓝细菌的行为不像大多数水生污染物，因为它们能够控制它们在水柱中的位置。我们的模型将整合蓝藻的这种独特行为，以了解饮用水处理厂的蓝藻和蓝藻毒素风险。拟议的研究将利用加拿大创新基金会提供的大量设备资源，用于监测蓝藻和毒素以及以前开发蓝藻运输新流体动力学模型的工作。与安大略和魁北克的市政饮用水供应商的持续合作也将得到利用，并将为高素质人员（HQP）的培训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，以及与水管理人员和公用事业公司的直接互动，这些人员将受益于所产生的研究。此外，蒙特利尔理工学院的研究环境非常支持，HQP将在一个具有良好的HQP培训记录和广泛的地方，国家和国际合作者网络的小组内接受培训。

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.