Presencia de microcistinas en el agua de la red domiciliaria de la ciudad de Bahía Blanca: un estudio preliminar

Betina Noemi Garcia; Carolina Fernández; Ana Laura Oliva; Elisa Rosalia Parodi; Gustavo Hugo López

doi:10.19137/semiarida.2025(Supl.).133-143

Betina Noemi Garcia Universidad Nacional del Sur https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7970-9322
Carolina Fernández Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas,Universidad Provincial del Sudoeste, Centro de Emprendedorismo y Desarrollo Territorial Sostenible https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2193-0536
Dra instituto Argentino de Oceanografia (IADO-CONICET-UNS). Departamento de Biologia Bioquimica y Farmacia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Bahia Balnca. Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9620-200X
Dra Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (CONICET-UNS). Departamento de Biología https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3427-1488
Professor Cátedra de Bioanalítica. Departamento de Biología https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9033-6687

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19137/semiarida.2025(Supl.).133-143

Keywords:

cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, chlorophyll-a, HPLC

Abstract

In light of the difficulty in securing safe drinking water for approximately 400.000 residents in Bahía Blanca and surrounding areas (Buenos Aires, Argentina), this study aimed to evaluate whether the presence of microcystins (MCs) in the reservoir toxicologically affects the sanitary quality of the water in the domestic distribution network. In this study, the concentration of Microcystis aeruginosa cells was determined (using optical microscopy) and chlorophyll-a concentration (using spectroscopy), and quantified MC-RR, MC-YR, and MC-LR variants (using HPLC-UV). At the reservoir sampling sites, during a massive cyanobacterial bloom in March 2024, M. aeruginosa cell counts and MC-YR and MC-LR concentrations exceeded the safety limits recommended by the WHO. In April of the same year, the levels of these parameters decreased, the changes in climatic factors could have been key to the dispersal of the colonies and the variation of the toxins. The detection of MCs in the domestic network water during the massive bloom reached MC-YR values between 0,06 and 2,46 mg L^-1 and MC-LR values between 0,24 and 3,25 mg L^-1 at several points in the distribution network. Even after the bloom disappeared, a value of 4,16 mg L^-1 of MC-YR was detected at one of the domestic network sampling sites. The presence of MCs in the network water, above the WHO's recommended maximum limit of 1 mg L^-1, could be a consequence of the stability of these toxins during commonly used water purification processes and/or the potential accumulation of MCs in domestic water storage tanks. These findings highlight the need to initiate a programmed systematic study to diagnose the origin, concentration, and identity of MCs in the distribution network and domestic storage tanks.

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Author Biographies

Betina Noemi Garcia, Universidad Nacional del Sur

Biochemist, Master's degree in Veterinary Clinical Trials, is a Specialist in Clinical Microbiology, a Lead Auditor of ISO 9001 Standards, and a Specialist in Quality Management. She is the Head of Quality for the Clinical Analysis Laboratories of Bioquímica Austral, Bioquímica Esquel, ICAC, LAC, Labi, EPS, and Biosur. She has been a professor at the National University of the South for 25 years. Currently, she serves as a Teaching Assistant for the Bioanalítica II and Bioanalítica B courses taught by the Department of Biology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy for all programs. She has participated in more than 5 research and outreach projects. In terms of human resource development, she co-directs and has directed Elective Biochemical Research Internships (POIB). She has served as a member of selection committees for teaching positions. She has published more than 5 papers in national and international journals, written book chapters, and presented several papers at conferences or similar events. She has participated in numerous courses, workshops, seminars, meetings, and conferences. She has completed the Diploma in Biochemical Updates. Regarding institutional management, she has been a Counselor and participated in the program accreditation committee.

Carolina Fernández, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, Universidad Nacional del Sur - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas,Universidad Provincial del Sudoeste, Centro de Emprendedorismo y Desarrollo Territorial Sostenible

Assistant Researcher at CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council) at the Bahía Blanca Scientific and Technological Center. Her specialty is coastal contamination, and her research interests include the applications of algal biomass in pollutant removal and its biotechnological utilization. She also holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the National University of the South and is an Associate Professor at the Provincial University of the Southwest.

Participated in numerous research projects. She has published 27 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 2 book chapters, and participated in 60 national and international symposia and meetings. She has been involved in high-level technological services (STAN). She is also a co-director of doctoral scholarships.

Dra, instituto Argentino de Oceanografia (IADO-CONICET-UNS). Departamento de Biologia Bioquimica y Farmacia. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Bahia Balnca. Argentina

Biochemist and Ph.D. in Biology. She is currently an Assistant Researcher at the Argentine Institute of Oceanography (IADO-CONICET/UNS), a position she has held since 2022. She has over 14 years of experience in scientific research, starting in 2010 as a fellow of the Scientific Research Commission (CIC) and continuing with doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships from CONICET. She has also been a professor at the National University of the South since 2023, where she works as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Biology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy, for the subjects Bioanalítica II and Bioanalítica B. She has actively participated in more than 20 research projects related to marine-coastal pollution, ecotoxicology, and environmental monitoring. She has published over 20 articles in indexed scientific journals, chapters in national and international books, and has presented more than 50 papers at conferences. Her area of specialization is the assessment of persistent organic compounds in environmental matrices.

Dra, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (CONICET-UNS). Departamento de Biología

Principal Researcher at CONICET and an Extraordinary Consulting Professor at the National University of the South, categorized as I under the UNS teaching-researcher incentive program. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences and a Ph.D. in Biology from the National University of the South. She also earned a European Master in Applied Algology from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, and a Master of Sciences in Applied Algology from the Institute of Applied Algology, Spain. Her specialization is aquatic ecology - phycology.

She has taught more than 20 postgraduate courses both nationally and internationally. She has directed and participated in numerous research and outreach projects. She has published 93 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 9 book chapters, and presented 74 papers at national and international scientific and technological events. In terms of human resource development, she has supervised 12 doctoral theses, 2 master's theses, and numerous fellows and researchers (CONICET, CIC, etc.). She has also supervised numerous Bachelor's theses in Biological Sciences. She has participated in numerous high-level technological services (STAN) and has received numerous national and international awards and distinctions.

Current academic and professional activities

She is an International Expert of Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity for the United Nations (UN), Environment Programme, and a scientific consultant for the Department of Environmental Health, Ministry of Health of the Nation, National Directorate of Health Determinants. She is a member of the permanent commission for the annual development and review of water quality standards for human use and consumption (COPERANCAUCH), focusing on massive proliferations of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in continental water bodies. She is the Director of the Postgraduate Programs in Biology (Doctorate and Master's) at the National University of the South and the Coordinator of the Academic Committee of the Postgraduate Program in Biology (Doctorate and Master's) at the National University of the South. She serves as a Scientific Consultant for the Department of Environmental Health, National Directorate, and a Scientific Representative of the National University of the South to the Municipality of Bahía Blanca, addressing drinking water quality. She is CONICET's National Reference Person for water use and sustainability. Furthermore, she is a member of the Honorary Advisory Commission for Biological Sciences, Environment, and Health of the Scientific Research Commission of the Province of Buenos Aires, and a member of the Water Quality Expert Panel of the Municipality of Bahía Blanca.

Professor, Cátedra de Bioanalítica. Departamento de Biología

He is a Biochemist and was a fellow of the Scientific Research Commission of the Province of Buenos Aires (CIC). He is a research professor at the National University of the South, under the incentive program for teaching researchers at national universities, category III. Currently, he is an Associate Professor for the Bioanalítica II and Bioanalítica B courses in the Department of Biology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy at the National University of the South.

He has taught postgraduate and professional training courses in the field of analytical biochemistry. He has published 3 books in the teaching series. He has participated in 12 research projects and published more than 20 articles in indexed scientific journals, conference proceedings, popular science magazines, and national and international book chapters. He has also presented numerous papers at national and international conferences.

Regarding human resource development, he has supervised undergraduate scholarships and internships, directed final graduation projects and elective biochemical research internships (POIB) for students. He has served as a juror for numerous teaching competitions and for undergraduate theses.

He has also worked in the private sector, being responsible for the Chromatography Laboratory of the Arbitral Chamber of Cereals of Bahía Blanca, part of the SENASA Official Laboratory Network. He has provided services to third parties, under an agreement between the Municipality of Bahía Blanca and the National University of the South, through the Departments of Agronomy and Biology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy. This involved professional advice and analyses for the detection of phytosanitary products in fruits and vegetables from various fruit and vegetable markets in the city.

In terms of institutional management, he has been a member of the departmental councilor, coordinator of the curriculum committee, member of the Articulation and Dissemination Commission of the Department of Biology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy, coordinator of the Tutoring System for the Biochemistry program, and a member of the Accreditation Commission for the Biochemistry program. He is also the Coordinator of Area VIII - Biological Chemistry - of the Department of Biology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy.

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