CORE--MARINE /FRESHWATER TOXINS AND HUMAN HEALTH

University Of Miami Coral Gables, Coral Gables FL

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Description (provided by applicant): Benign and harmful algal blooms (HABS) have likely been occurring since the very beginnings of life on this planet. However, it appears that the incidence of harmful algal blooms has been on the rise in recent years. For the applicant's purposes, an algal bloom is harmful if its toxins become available to human populations, either directly or indirectly, through food, water and other routes of exposure. As indicated in the application, toxins may adversely affect both aquatic animals and humans, and thus it is advisable to follow both human and wildlife effects, because wildlife can ultimately become food sources for humans, but they can also serve as early warning sentinels of new toxins or new HABs. The traditional primary exposure route of concern to humans has been bio-accumulation in finfish (e.g., ciguatoxin) or shellfish (e.g., saxitoxin and brevetoxin). University of Miami Center scientists have been at the forefront of dealing with the human health aspects of these phenomena. However, anecdotal evidence has been accumulating about the toxic effects of other exposure routes (e g., aerosols and even drinking water), and in the next grant period, Center scientists will be conducting a definitive evaluation of such effects in both animal and human models. Awareness of these new routes of exposure came about as a consequence not only of our wildlife work on manatees, but also as a result of reports on out Marine and Freshwater Hotline and through work with the Florida Harmful Algal Bloom Taskforce, i.e., via our outreach activities.