Advances in the Early Warning of Shellfish Toxification by Dinophysis acuminata.

In Western Europe, the incidence of DST is likely the highest globally, posing a significant threat with prolonged bans on shellfish harvesting, mainly caused by species of the dinoflagellate genus Dinophysis. Using a time series from 2014 to 2020, our study aimed (i) to determine the concentration of D. acuminata in water at which shellfish toxin levels could surpass the regulatory limit (160 µg OA equiv kg-1) and (ii) to assess the predictability of toxic events for timely mitigation actions, especially concerning potential harvesting bans. The analysis considered factors such as (i) overdispersion in the data, (ii) distinct periods of presence and absence, (iii) the persistence of cells, and (iv) the temporal lag between cells in the water and toxins in shellfish. Four generalized additive models were tested, with the Tweedie (TW-GAM) model showing superior performance (>85%) and lower complexity. The results suggest existing thresholds currently employed (200 and 500 cells L-1) are well-suited for the Portuguese coast, supported by empirical evidence (54-79% accuracy). The developed algorithm allows for thresholds to be tailored on a case-by-case basis, offering flexibility for regional variations.

The Potential of Chitosan-Based Composites for Adsorption of Diarrheic Shellfish Toxins.

Okadaic acid (OA) is one of the most potent marine biotoxins, causing diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP). The proliferation of microalgae that produce OA and its analogues is frequent, threatening human health and socioeconomic development. Several methods have been tested to remove this biotoxin from aquatic systems, yet none has proven enough efficacy to solve the problem. In this work, we synthesized and characterized low-cost composites and tested their efficacy for OA adsorption in saltwater. For the synthesis of the composites, the following starting materials were considered: chitosan of low and medium molecular weight (CH-LW and CH-MW, respectively), activated carbon (AC), and montmorillonite (MMT). Characterization by vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and microscopy revealed differences in the mode of interaction of CH-LW and CH-MW with AC and MMT, suggesting that the interaction of CH-MW with MMT has mainly occurred on the surface of the clay particles and no sufficient intercalation of CH-MW into the MMT interlayers took place. Among the composites tested (CH-LW/AC, CH-MW/AC, CH-MW/AC/MMT, and CH-MW/MMT), CH-MW/MMT was the one that revealed lower OA adsorption efficiency, given the findings evidenced by the structural characterization. On the contrary, the CH-MW/AC composite revealed the highest average percentage of OA adsorption (53 ± 11%). Although preliminary, the results obtained in this work open up good perspectives for the use of this type of composite material as an adsorbent in the removal of OA from marine environments.

Contamination Status and Risk Assessment of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in Shellfish along the Coastal Areas of China.

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) are widely distributed in shellfish along the coast of China, causing a serious threat to consumer health; however, there is still a lack of large-scale systematic investigations and risk assessments. Herein, 641 shellfish samples were collected from March to November 2020, and the PSTs' toxicity was detected via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the contamination status and potential dietary risks of PSTs were discussed. PSTs were detected in 241 shellfish samples with a detection rate of 37.60%. The average PST toxicities in mussels and ark shells were considerably higher than those in other shellfish. The PSTs mainly included N-sulfonylcarbamoyl toxins (class C) and carbamoyl toxins (class GTX), and the highest PST toxicity was 546.09 µg STX eq. kg-1. The PST toxicity in spring was significantly higher than those in summer and autumn (p < 0.05). Hebei Province had the highest average PST toxicity in spring. An acute exposure assessment showed that consumers in Hebei Province had a higher dietary risk, with mussels posing a significantly higher dietary risk to consumers. This research provides reference for the green and sustainable development of the shellfish industry and the establishment of a shellfish toxin prevention and control system.

Lipophilic Shellfish Poisoning Toxins in Marine Invertebrates from the Galician Coast.

For the purpose of assessing human health exposure, it is necessary to characterize the toxins present in a given area and their potential impact on commercial species. The goal of this research study was: (1) to screen the prevalence and concentrations of lipophilic toxins in nine groups of marine invertebrates in the northwest Iberian Peninsula; (2) to evaluate the validity of wild mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) as sentinel organisms for the toxicity in non-bivalve invertebrates from the same area. The screening of multiple lipophilic toxins in 1150 samples has allowed reporting for the first time the presence of 13-desmethyl spirolide C, pinnatoxin G, okadaic acid, and dinophysistoxins 2 in a variety of non-traditional vectors. In general, these two emerging toxins showed the highest prevalence (12.5-75%) in most of the groups studied. Maximum levels for 13-desmethyl spirolide C and pinnatoxin G were found in the bivalves Magallana gigas (21 µg kg-1) and Tellina donacina (63 µg kg-1), respectively. However, mean concentrations for the bivalve group were shallow (2-6 µg kg-1). Okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin 2 with lower prevalence (1.6-44.4%) showed, on the contrary, very high concentration values in specific species of crustaceans and polychaetes (334 and 235 µg kg--1, respectively), to which special attention should be paid. Statistical data analyses showed that mussels could be considered good biological indicators for the toxicities of certain groups in a particular area, with correlations between 0.710 (for echinoderms) and 0.838 (for crustaceans). Polychaetes could be an exception, but further extensive surveys would be needed to draw definitive conclusions.

Knowledge Sharing to Reduce Toxin Exposure Risks from Harmful Algal Blooms: Global Networks and Political Barriers.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a significant global environmental management challenge, especially with respect to microalgae that produce dangerous natural toxins. Examples of HAB toxin diseases with major global health impact include: ciguatera poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), and neurotoxic (brevetoxin) shellfish poisoning (NSP). Such diseases affect communities globally and contribute to health inequalities within the United States and beyond. Sharing data and lessons learned about the factors determining bloom occurrence and associated exposure to contaminated seafood across locations can reduce public health risks. Knowledge sharing is particularly important as ongoing global environmental changes seem to alter the intensity, location, and timing of toxic HAB events, reducing the reliability of conventional guidance where toxin risks have been endemic and leading to emerging challenges in new settings. Political changes that disrupt membership in knowledge-sharing networks may impede efforts to share scientific expertise and best practices. In this commentary, we stress the importance of community and expert knowledge sharing for reducing HAB risks, both for vulnerable communities in the United States and globally. Considering the impacts of political changes, we note the indirect engagement sometimes required for continued participation in international coordination programs. As an example, we highlight how lessons learned from a Native-led toxin monitoring and testing program (the Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research partnership) can inform programs in other settings. We also describe how international knowledge is mutually valuable for this program in Southeast Alaska.

A High Throughput Screening HPLC-FLD Method for Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PSTs) Enabling Effective Official Control.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PSTs) are marine biotoxins, primarily produced by dinoflagellates of the genera Gymnodinium spp., Alexandrium spp. They can accumulate in shellfish and, through the food chain, be assimilated by humans, giving rise to Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. The maximum permitted level for PSTs in bivalves is 800 µg STX·2HCl eqv/kg (Reg. EC N° 853/2004). Until recently, the reference analytical method was the Mouse Bioassay, but Reg. EU N° 1709/2021 entered into force on 13 October 2021 and identified in the Standard EN14526:2017 or in any other internationally recognized validated method not entailing the use of live animals as official methods. Then the official control laboratories had urgently to fulfill the new requests, face out the Mouse Bioassay and implement instrumental analytical methods. The "EURLMB SOP for the analysis of PSTs by pre-column HPLC-FLD according to OMA AOAC 2005.06" also introduced a simplified semiquantitative approach to discriminate samples above and below the regulatory limit. The aim of the present paper is to present a new presence/absence test with a cut-off at 600 µg STX·2HCl eqv/kg enabling the fast discrimination of samples with very low PSTs levels from those to be submitted to the full quantitative confirmatory EN14526:2017 method. The method was implemented, avoiding the use of a large number of certified reference standards and long quantification procedures, resulting in an efficient, economical screening instrument available for official control laboratories. The protocol was fully validated, obtaining good performances in terms of repeatability (<11%) and recovery (53−106%) and accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025. The method was applied to mollusks collected from March 2021 to February 2022 along the Marche region in the frame of marine toxins official control.

Lipophilic Toxins in Chile: History, Producers and Impacts.

A variety of microalgal species produce lipophilic toxins (LT) that are accumulated by filter-feeding bivalves. Their negative impacts on human health and shellfish exploitation are determined by toxic potential of the local strains and toxin biotransformations by exploited bivalve species. Chile has become, in a decade, the world's major exporter of mussels (Mytilus chilensis) and scallops (Argopecten purpuratus) and has implemented toxin testing according to importing countries' demands. Species of the Dinophysis acuminata complex and Protoceratium reticulatum are the most widespread and abundant LT producers in Chile. Dominant D. acuminata strains, notwithstanding, unlike most strains in Europe rich in okadaic acid (OA), produce only pectenotoxins, with no impact on human health. Dinophysis acuta, suspected to be the main cause of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning outbreaks, is found in the two southernmost regions of Chile, and has apparently shifted poleward. Mouse bioassay (MBA) is the official method to control shellfish safety for the national market. Positive results from mouse tests to mixtures of toxins and other compounds only toxic by intraperitoneal injection, including already deregulated toxins (PTXs), force unnecessary harvesting bans, and hinder progress in the identification of emerging toxins. Here, 50 years of LST events in Chile, and current knowledge of their sources, accumulation and effects, are reviewed. Improvements of monitoring practices are suggested, and strategies to face new challenges and answer the main questions are proposed.

Development of a Fast Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry Method (LC-MS/MS) to Determine Fourteen Lipophilic Shellfish Toxins Based on Fused-Core Technology: In-House Validation.

Prevalence and incidence of the marine toxins (paralytic, amnesic, and lipophilic toxins) including the so-called emerging toxins (these are, gymnodimines, pinnatoxins, or spirolides among others) have increased in recent years all over the world. Climate change, which is affecting the distribution of their producing phytoplankton species, is probably one of the main causes. Early detection of the toxins present in a particular area, and linking the toxins to their causative phytoplankton species are key tools to minimize the risk they pose for human consumers. The development of both types of studies requires fast and highly sensitive analytical methods. In the present work, we have developed a highly sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methodology (LC-MS/MS), using a column with fused-core particle technology, for the determination of fourteen lipophilic toxins in a single run of 3.6 min. The performance of the method was evaluated for specificity, linearity, precision (repeatability and reproducibility) and accuracy by analysing spiked and naturally contaminated samples. The in-house validation was successful, and the limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for all the toxins were far below their regulatory action limits. The method is suitable to be considered in monitoring systems of bivalves for food control.

Field Validation of the Southern Rock Lobster Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Monitoring Program in Tasmania, Australia.

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) are found in the hepatopancreas of Southern Rock Lobster Jasus edwardsii from the east coast of Tasmania in association with blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella. Tasmania's rock lobster fishery is one of the state's most important wild capture fisheries, supporting a significant commercial industry (AUD 97M) and recreational fishing sector. A comprehensive 8 years of field data collected across multiple sites has allowed continued improvements to the risk management program protecting public health and market access for the Tasmanian lobster fishery. High variability was seen in toxin levels between individuals, sites, months, and years. The highest risk sites were those on the central east coast, with July to January identified as the most at-risk months. Relatively high uptake rates were observed (exponential rate of 2% per day), similar to filter-feeding mussels, and meant that lobster accumulated toxins quickly. Similarly, lobsters were relatively fast detoxifiers, losing up to 3% PST per day, following bloom demise. Mussel sentinel lines were effective in indicating a risk of elevated PST in lobster hepatopancreas, with annual baseline monitoring costing approximately 0.06% of the industry value. In addition, it was determined that if the mean hepatopancreas PST levels in five individual lobsters from a site were <0.22 mg STX equiv. kg-1, there is a 97.5% probability that any lobster from that site would be below the bivalve maximum level of 0.8 mg STX equiv. kg-1. The combination of using a sentinel species to identify risk areas and sampling five individual lobsters at a particular site, provides a cost-effective strategy for managing PST risk in the Tasmanian commercial lobster fishery.

Guidance Level for Brevetoxins in French Shellfish.

Brevetoxins (BTXs) are marine biotoxins responsible for neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) after ingestion of contaminated shellfish. NSP is characterized by neurological, gastrointestinal and/or cardiovascular symptoms. The main known producer of BTXs is the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, but other microalgae are also suspected to synthesize BTX-like compounds. BTXs are currently not regulated in France and in Europe. In November 2018, they have been detected for the first time in France in mussels from a lagoon in the Corsica Island (Mediterranean Sea), as part of the network for monitoring the emergence of marine biotoxins in shellfish. To prevent health risks associated with the consumption of shellfish contaminated with BTXs in France, a working group was set up by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses). One of the aims of this working group was to propose a guidance level for the presence of BTXs in shellfish. Toxicological data were too limited to derive an acute oral reference dose (ARfD). Based on human case reports, we identified two lowest-observed-adverse-effect levels (LOAELs). A guidance level of 180 µg BTX-3 eq./kg shellfish meat is proposed, considering a protective default portion size of 400 g shellfish meat.

Inhibition of Diarrheal Shellfish Toxins Accumulation in the Mussel Perna viridis by Curcumin and Underlying Mechanisms.

Diarrheal shellfish toxins (DSTs) are among the most widely distributed phytotoxins, and are associated with diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP) events in human beings all over the world. Therefore, it is urgent and necessary to identify an effective method for toxin removal in bivalves. In this paper, we found that curcumin (CUR), a phytopolylphenol pigment, can inhibit the accumulation of DSTs (okadaic acid-eq) in the digestive gland of Perna viridis after Prorocentrum lima exposure. qPCR results demonstrated that CUR inhibited the induction of DSTs on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), hormone receptor 96 (HR96) and CYP3A4 mRNA, indicating that the CUR-induced reduction in DSTs may be correlated with the inhibition of transcriptional induction of AhR, HR96 and CYP3A4. The histological examination showed that P. lima cells caused severe damage to the digestive gland of P. viridis, and the addition of curcumin effectively alleviated the damage induced by P. lima. In conclusion, our findings provide a potential method for the effective removal of toxins from DST-contaminated shellfish.

Paralytic and Amnesic Shellfish Toxins Impacts on Seabirds, Analyses and Management.

Marine biotoxins have been frequently implicated in morbidity and mortality events in numerous species of birds worldwide. Nevertheless, their effects on seabirds have often been overlooked and the associated ecological impact has not been extensively studied. On top of that, the number of published studies confirming by analyses the presence of marine biotoxins from harmful algal blooms (HABs) in seabirds, although having increased in recent years, is still quite low. This review compiles information on studies evidencing the impact of HAB toxins on marine birds, with a special focus on the effects of paralytic and amnesic shellfish toxins (PSTs and ASTs). It is mainly centered on studies in which the presence of PSTs and/or ASTs in seabird samples was demonstrated through analyses. The analytical techniques commonly employed, the tissues selected and the adjustments done in protocols for processing seabird matrixes are summarized. Other topics covered include the role of different vectors in the seabird intoxications, information on clinical signs in birds affected by PSTs and ASTs, and multifactorial causes which could aggravate the syndromes. Close collaboration between seabird experts and marine biotoxins researchers is needed to identify and report the potential involvement of HABs and their toxins in the mortality events. Future studies on the PSTs and ASTs pharmacodynamics, together with the establishment of lethal doses in various seabird species, are also necessary. These studies would aid in the selection of the target organs for toxins analyses and in the postmortem intoxication diagnoses.

Risk Assessment of Pectenotoxins in New Zealand Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish, 2009-2019.

Pectenotoxins (PTXs) are produced by Dinophysis spp., along with okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin 1, and dinophysistoxin 2. The okadaic acid group toxins cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), so are therefore regulated. New Zealand currently includes pectenotoxins within the DSP regulations. To determine the impact of this decision, shellfish biotoxin data collected between 2009 and 2019 were examined. They showed that 85 samples exceeded the DSP regulatory limit (0.45%) and that excluding pectenotoxins would have reduced this by 10% to 76 samples. The incidence (1.3%) and maximum concentrations of pectenotoxins (0.079 mg/kg) were also found to be low, well below the current European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) safe limit of 0.12 mg/kg. Inclusion within the DSP regulations is scientifically flawed, as pectenotoxins and okadaic acid have a different mechanism of action, meaning that their toxicities are not additive, which is the fundamental principle of grouping toxins. Furthermore, evaluation of the available toxicity data suggests that pectenotoxins have very low oral toxicity, with recent studies showing no oral toxicity in mice dosed with the PTX analogue PTX2 at 5000 µg/kg. No known human illnesses have been reported due to exposure to pectenotoxins in shellfish, a fact which combined with the toxicity data indicates that they pose negligible risk to humans. Regulatory policies should be commensurate with the level of risk, thus deregulation of PTXs ought to be considered, a stance already adopted by some countries.

Toxinas Algales en el Mar Argentino: nuevos hallazgos, nuevos desafíos / Algal Toxins in the Argentine Sea: new findings, new challenges

Resumen Las floraciones de algas nocivas son un problema cada vez más frecuente a nivel mundial que ocasiona severos daños sobre la salud pública, pérdidas económicas en acuicultura, perjuicios al turismo y episodios de mortalidad de poblaciones naturales de peces, aves y mamíferos marinos. Las toxinas son producidas por el fitoplancton y se acumulan en moluscos bivalvos que se alimentan por filtración del agua siendo estos los principales vectores de intoxicación humana. En el Mar Argentino, se han reportado toxinas marinas de origen microalgal asociadas con cuatro síndromes de intoxicación por moluscos. Los síndromes más graves por su extensión, frecuencia, toxicidad y organismos afectados, son los originados por el dinoflagelado Alexandrium cate-nella responsable de la Intoxicación Paralizante por Moluscos la cual ha ocasionado numerosas muertes humanas. Seguidamente, la más leve, en cuanto a gravedad y frecuencia, ha sido la Intoxicación Diarreica por Moluscos. En contraste, el ácido domoico, conocido como toxina amnésica de moluscos, no ha producido hasta ahora intoxicaciones humanas. Recientemente, se amplió el rango de toxinas para la región al registrarse las toxinas y los dinoflagelados productores de la Intoxicación Azaspirácidos por Moluscos. Además, se han detectado las potencialmente tóxicas Yessotoxinas y Espirolidos, cuyos mecanismos de acción y toxicidad están siendo aún evaluados a nivel mundial. Estas toxinas emergentes para la región, representan un riesgo potencial para la salud e inconvenientes socioeconómicos por el cierre de los sitios de explotación de moluscos. Ciertamente presentan un nuevo desafío, pues la detección y cuantificación sólo puede realizarse por medio de métodos basados en HPLC - espectrometría de masas, lo cual dificulta el monitoreo en laboratorios regionales en el país. La herramienta clave de manejo es la prevención, a través de políticas, regulaciones y sistemas de monitoreo y control de cada grupo de toxinas. A través de estas mejoras, se anticipa que no sólo disminuirá el número de afectados por estas intoxicaciones, si no que se podrán realizar vedas más eficientes, asegurando un equilibrio que proteja tanto la salud pública como el desarrollo de la industria pesquera.

Abstract Harmful algal blooms are an increasingly common problem worldwide, causing severe damage to public health, economic losses in aquaculture, damage to tourism and mortality events of natural populations of fish, birds and marine mammals. The toxins are produced by phytoplankton and accumulated in bivalve molluscs that feed on water filtration, being these main vectors of human intoxication. In the Argentine Sea marine toxins of microalgal origin have been reported associated with four shellfish poisoning syn-dromes. The most serious due to their extension, frequency, toxicity and affected organisms are those caused by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella responsible for the Paralytic shellfish poisoning that has caused numerous human deaths. Then, the mildest, in severity and frequency, is the Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. In contrast, domoic acid, known as Amnesic shellfish toxin, has not produced human intoxications yet. Recently, toxins and dinoflagellate species causing Azaspiracid shellfish poisoning have been re-corded, expanding the range of toxins for the region. In addition, the potentially toxic Yessotoxins and Spirolides have been detected, whose mechanism of action and toxicity is still being evaluated worldwide. These emerging toxins represent a potential risk to public health and socioeconomic activities due to the eventual closure of mollusc exploitation sites. They certainly present a new challenge, since detection and quantification can only be carried out using methods based on HPLC - mass spectrometry, which makes monitor-ing in regional laboratories difficult. Prevention through policies, regulations, and monitoring and control systems of each toxin group is the key management tool. These preventive measures are expected to contribute to reducing the number of poisonings and to ap-plying more efficient fisheries closures, ensuring a balance that protects both public health and the development of the fishing industry.

The Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research (SEATOR) Partnership: Addressing Data Gaps in Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring and Shellfish Safety in Southeast Alaska.

Many communities in Southeast Alaska harvest shellfish such as mussels and clams as an important part of a subsistence or traditional diet. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) of phytoplankton such as Alexandrium spp. produce toxins that can accumulate in shellfish tissues to concentrations that can pose a hazard for human health. Since 2013, several tribal governments and communities have pooled resources to form the Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research (SEATOR) network, with the goal of minimizing risks to seafood harvest and enhancing food security. SEATOR monitors toxin concentrations in shellfish and collects and consolidates data on environmental variables that may be important predictors of toxin levels such as sea surface temperature and salinity. Data from SEATOR are publicly available and are encouraged to be used for the development and testing of predictive algorithms that could improve seafood risk assessment in Southeast Alaska. To date, more than 1700 shellfish samples have been analyzed for paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in more than 20 locations, with potentially lethal concentrations observed in blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus) and butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea). Concentrations of PSTs exhibit seasonality in some species, and observations of Alexandrium are correlated to sea surface temperature and salinity; however, concentrations above the threshold of concern have been found in all months, and substantial variation in concentrations of PSTs remain unexplained.

Temporal Variation of the Profile and Concentrations of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins and Tetrodotoxin in the Scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, Cultured in a Bay of East Japan.

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) are the major neurotoxic contaminants of edible bivalves in Japan. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) was recently detected in bivalve shellfish around the world, drawing widespread attention. In Japan, high levels of TTX were reported in the digestive gland of the scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, in 1993; however, no new data have emerged since then. In this study, we simultaneously analyzed PSTs and TTX in scallops cultured in a bay of east Japan using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC)-MS/MS. These scallops were temporally collected from April to December 2017. The highest concentration of PSTs (182 µmol/kg, total congeners) in the hepatopancreas was detected in samples collected on May 23, lined to the cell density of the dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamarense, in seawater around the scallops, whereas the highest concentration of TTX (421 nmol/kg) was detected in samples collected on August 22. Contrary to the previous report, temporal variation of the PSTs and TTX concentrations did not coincide. The highest concentration of TTX in the entire edible tissues was 7.3 µg/kg (23 nmol/kg) in samples obtained on August 22, which was lower than the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)-proposed threshold, 44 µg TTX equivalents/kg shellfish meat. In addition, 12ß-deoxygonyautoxin 3 was firstly identified in scallops.

Outbreak of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning associated with consumption of mussels, United Kingdom, May to June 2019.

We report on six cases of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning following consumption of mussels harvested in the United Kingdom. Dinophysis spp. in the water column was found to have increased rapidly at the production site resulting in high levels of okadaic acid-group lipophilic toxins in the flesh of consumed mussels. Clinicians and public health professionals should remain aware of algal-derived toxins being a potential cause of illness following seafood consumption.

HABscope: A tool for use by citizen scientists to facilitate early warning of respiratory irritation caused by toxic blooms of Karenia brevis.

Blooms of the toxic microalga Karenia brevis occur seasonally in Florida, Texas and other portions of the Gulf of Mexico. Brevetoxins produced during Karenia blooms can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning in humans, massive fish kills, and the death of marine mammals and birds. Brevetoxin-containing aerosols are an additional problem, having a severe impact on beachgoers, triggering coughing, eye and throat irritation in healthy individuals, and more serious respiratory distress in those with asthma or other breathing disorders. The blooms and associated aerosol impacts are patchy in nature, often affecting one beach but having no impact on an adjacent beach. To provide timely information to visitors about which beaches are low-risk, we developed HABscope; a low cost (~$400) microscope system that can be used in the field by citizen scientists with cell phones to enumerate K. brevis cell concentrations in the water along each beach. The HABscope system operates by capturing short videos of collected water samples and uploading them to a central server for rapid enumeration of K. brevis cells using calibrated recognition software. The HABscope has a detection threshold of about 100,000 cells, which is the point when respiratory risk becomes evident. Higher concentrations are reliably estimated up to 10 million cells L-1. When deployed by volunteer citizen scientists, the HABscope consistently distinguished low, medium, and high concentrations of cells in the water. The volunteers were able to collect data on most days during a severe bloom. This indicates that the HABscope can provide an effective capability to significantly increase the sampling coverage during Karenia brevis blooms.

Comparison of amnesic, paralytic and lipophilic toxins profiles in cockle (Acanthocardia tuberculata) and smooth clam (Callista chione) from the central Adriatic Sea (Croatia).

Searching for Amnesic (ASP), Paralytic (PSP) and Lipophilic (LT) toxins in seafood is of great importance for consumer protection. Studies are usually focused on the most aquacultured species, the mussel. But, there are a number of potentially commercially important shellfish species as rough cockle Acanthocardia tuberculata (Linnaeus, 1758) and smooth clam Callista chione (Linnaeus, 1758) which are common in the Croatian Adriatic Sea. Investigation of marine biotoxins accumulation in these two species of shellfish from the Adriatic Sea has not been conducted up to now. In order to detect the potential marine biotoxin profile of A. tuberculata and C. chione wild populations, samples were taken monthly during one-year survey from the estuarine area in the central Adriatic Sea. HPLC-FLD with pre-column oxidation and HPLC-UV-DAD methods were employed for PSP and ASP toxins determination, respectively, while LTs were determined by LC-MS/MS. This research had revealed the differences in the accumulation of ASP, PSP and LT toxins between the two studied species, as Acanthocardia tuberculata showed more diverse profile with higher concentrations of analysed toxins. Both investigated shellfish species had shown levels of these biotoxins under the legal limits set by the European Commission.

A Strategy to Replace the Mouse Bioassay for Detecting and Identifying Lipophilic Marine Biotoxins by Combining the Neuro-2a Bioassay and LC-MS/MS Analysis.

Marine biotoxins in fish and shellfish can cause several symptoms in consumers, such as diarrhea, amnesia, or even death by paralysis. Monitoring programs are in place for testing shellfish on a regular basis. In some countries testing is performed using the so-called mouse bioassay, an assay that faces ethical concerns not only because of animal distress, but also because it lacks specificity and results in high amounts of false positives. In Europe, for lipophilic marine biotoxins (LMBs), a chemical analytical method using LC-MS/MS was developed as an alternative and is now the reference method. However, safety is often questioned when relying solely on such a method, and as a result, the mouse bioassay might still be used. In this study the use of a cell-based assay for screening, i.e., the neuro-2a assay, in combination with the official LC-MS/MS method was investigated as a new alternative strategy for the detection and quantification of LMBs. To this end, samples that had been tested previously with the mouse bioassay were analyzed in the neuro-2a bioassay and the LC-MS/MS method. The neuro-2a bioassay was able to detect all LMBs at the regulatory levels and all samples that tested positive in the mouse bioassay were also suspect in the neuro-2a bioassay. In most cases, these samples contained toxin levels (yessotoxins) that explain the outcome of the bioassay but did not exceed the established maximum permitted levels.