The problem of algal bloom in the source of drinking water supply for the population

Introduction. The source of drinking water supply for the city of Chelyabinsk with a population of more than 1 million people is the Miass River, the flow of which is regulated by the Shershnevskoye and Argazinskoye reservoirs. The waters of these reservoirs are periodically subjected to increased blooming, including cyanobacterial blooming, which makes the water hazardous to human health, requiring special monitoring.

Materials and methods. The objects of research were natural water of the river. The objects of the research were natural water of the Miass River at the Shershnevskoye water reservoir in the water treatment station of the municipal unitary enterprise for water supply and sanitation industrial association “Sosnovskiye water treatment facilities” in Chelyabinsk and treated drinking water before supplying to the distribution network. The results of laboratory-instrumental studies of phytoplankton biomass, quantitative, and qualitative (species composition) of cyanobacteria for 2010–2022 were used. Determination of cyanotoxins microcystin-LR, cylindrospermopsin, anatoxin-a, saxitoxin, and beta-N-methylamine-L-alanine (BMAA) in reservoir water and drinking water supplied to the population was carried out using ready-made immunoenzyme test systems, manufactured by Eurofins Abraxis (USA) by enzyme immunoassay method.

Results. The dominant genera of cyanobacteria identified in the water of the Shershnev Reservoir were: Planktothrix, Aphanizomenon, Microcystis, and Anabaena. As a result of monitoring the water of the Shershnev Reservoir and drinking water there were detected following toxins produced by cyanobacteria: microcystin-LR, anatoxin-a, saxitoxin, cylindrospermopsin, microcystin, and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). The analysis of qualitative and quantitative composition of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins allowed revealing the tendencies of “blooming” processes characteristic for this region, insufficient efficiency to the two-stage purification scheme in relation to: anatoxin-a, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxin, and microcystin-LR.

Limitation. Lack of domestic standards and test systems with the necessary sensitivity and representativeness to expand the range of determined priority cyanotoxins in water.

Conclusion. Regional peculiarities and seasonal patterns of distribution of the consequences of cyanobacterial “blooms” have been revealed. The direction of further research may be the improvement of wastewater treatment systems and drinking water treatment systems. The obtained results can be used as a basis for development of monitoring system, including identification of priority cyanotoxins and assessment of public health risk.

Compliance with ethical standards. This study does not require the conclusion of a biomedical ethics committee or other documents.

Contribution:
Turbinsky V.V., Pushkareva M.V. – research concept and design, text writing, editing;
Bragina I.V. – concept and design of the study;
Kuz N.V. – concept and design of the study, collection and processing of material, text writing;
Sinitsyna O.O. – concept and design of the study, editing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement. The study was carried out as part of the implementation of the state program “Ensuring the chemical and biological safety of the Russian Federation” for 2021–2024.

Received: October 17, 2024 / Revised: December 13, 2024 / Accepted: December 17, 2024 / Published: December 28, 2024