NEXT MEETING: HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 3-7 2026

Cyanotoxin analysis of various water sources (recreational and intake for drinking water) is critical from a safety standpoint.  Targeted LC/MS/MS analysis is a particularly useful technique to monitor for algal toxins.  These analyses are generally guided by commercial standards, which are available for a suite of common toxins.  However, hundreds of toxin variants exist and most, including toxins that have been seen regularly in blooms, do not have established standards or reference material.  Using a small particle (sub 2µm particle size) column and a simple gradient method that was previously developed for commonly observed toxins (6 microcystins, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsin) it has been expanded to now include over 30 additional microcystins, variants of anatoxin and cylindrospermopsin as well as several dermatoxins, various anabenopeptins, euglenopyhycin, and even marine toxins such as okadaic acid.  Backward (precursor) monitoring can provide a useful screening tool for the detection of any unusual toxins, especially compounds in which other analytical techniques, ELISA for example, may not detect their presence.  This talk will discuss specific examples, expanding from last year’s work on various water bodies throughout the US and elsewhere where many “uncommon” compounds were detected. Use of backward monitoring may reveal more than is currently known about toxin profiles in a given location, can inform future monitoring efforts, and may serve as a tool to augment our understanding of toxin production in harmful algal bloom forming organisms.