Across Canada, freshwater bodies are seeing an alarming rise in cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, driven by climate change. These blooms can release deadly toxins that pose significant risks to both human and animal health.
B次元官网网址淎s global warming has increased, the prevalence of these blooms has also increased, and they threaten access to safe drinking water supplies as well as recreational opportunities across Canada,B次元官网网址� said Dr. Chris Gill, a Vancouver Island University chemistry professor and co-director of VIUB次元官网网址檚 Applied Environmental Research Laboratories.
Saanich's Elk Lake, View Royal's Thetis Lake and Prior Lake frequently experience cyanobacteria blooms, sometimes lasting for months.
Gill, along with Lucas Abruzzi, a master's student at VIU, are spearheading an innovative project to detect these toxins faster and more cost-effectively using paper spray mass spectrometry.
Their research, in collaboration with the National Research Council of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Halifax lab, aims to revolutionize toxin detection in water.
B次元官网网址淭he possibility of rapidly measuring cyanotoxins directly from water samples using paper spray could transform the way testing is done across Canada," said Dr. Daniel Beach, a research officer with the biotoxin metrology lab in Halifax.
Cyanobacteria, some of the EarthB次元官网网址檚 earliest life forms, produce a range of toxins, known as cyanotoxins, that can be harmful. The researchers are focusing on three major types: microcystins, nodularin, and anatoxins.
Current methods of detecting cyanotoxins are costly and time-consuming, often relying on less reliable techniques like cell counting and visual inspection of blooms.
Gill stressed that just because a bloom isnB次元官网网址檛 visible doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean the water is safe.
The new paper spray mass spectrometry method allows researchers to analyze even tiny water samples, requiring only a fraction of a drop. Within two minutes, results are available, offering a much faster and simpler alternative to conventional methods.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why itB次元官网网址檚 revolutionary, thereB次元官网网址檚 very little sample preparation,B次元官网网址� said Gill.
Since 2014, VIUB次元官网网址檚 lab has been advancing paper spray mass spectrometry technology, with a particular focus on detecting algal toxins in the last three years.
