Microcystin in plants that treat water for human consumption in a tropical environment: the Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica.

Abstract

Microcystin in plants that treat water for human consumption in a tropical environment: the Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica. We measured microcystin levels in water of the Metropolitan Area of CostaRica by competitive inhibition ELISA and we quantified total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli (by a Most Probable Number method) and aerobic count. We wanted to identify any cyanotoxin correlation with these parameters, as a public health risk. We sampled in the rainy season of 2003 (April-October) and in the dry season of 2004 (February-March) (30 samples/season). We sampled pre-treated, semi-treated and treated water. Microcystin levels < 0.5 ppb were found in the rainy season (and > 0.5 ppb in the dry season). Dry season levels exceeded World Health Organization limits (1.0 ppb). Cyanotoxins occurred in the Tres Ríos plant. We did not find a correlation between these microbiologic parameters of water quality and microcystin levels in water.