The toxins of Lyngbya majuscula and their human and ecological health effects

Lyngbya majuscula is a benthic filamentous marine cyanobacterium, which in recent years appears to have been increasing in frequency and size of bloom s in Moreton Bay, Queensland. It has a worldwide distribution throughout th e tropics and subtropics in water to 30m. It has been found to contain a va riety of chemicals that exert a range of biological effects, including skin , eye and respiratory irritation. The toxins lyngbyatoxin A and debromoaply siatoxin appear to give the most widely witnessed biological effects in rel ation to humans, and experiments involving these two toxins show the format ion of acute dermal lesions. Studies into the epidemiology of the dermatiti c, respiratory and eye effects of the toxins of this organism are reviewed and show that Lyngbya induced dermatitis has occurred in a number of locati ons. The effects of aerosolised Lyngbya in relation to health outcomes were also reported. Differential effects of bathing behaviour after Lyngbya exp osure were examined in relation to the severity of health outcomes. The pot ential for Lyngbya to exhibit differential toxicologies due to the presence of varying proportions of a range of toxins is also examined. This paper r eviews the present state of knowledge on the effects of Lyngbya majuscula o n human health, ecosystems and human populations during a toxic cyanobacter ial bloom. The potential exists for toxins from Lyngbya majuscula affecting ecological health and in particular marine reptiles. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sci ence Ltd. All rights reserved.