Across Canada, freshwater bodies are seeing an alarming rise in cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, driven by climate change. These blooms can release deadly toxins that pose significant risks to both human and animal health.
“As global warming has increased, the prevalence of these blooms has also increased, and they threaten access to safe drinking water supplies as well as recreational opportunities across Canada,” said Dr. Chris Gill, a Vancouver Island University chemistry professor and co-director of VIU’s Applied Environmental Research Laboratories.
Saanich's Elk Lake, View Royal's Thetis Lake and Prior Lake frequently experience cyanobacteria blooms, sometimes lasting for months.
Gill, along with Lucas Abruzzi, a master's student at VIU, are spearheading an innovative project to detect these toxins faster and more cost-effectively using paper spray mass spectrometry.
Their research, in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada’s Halifax lab, aims to revolutionize toxin detection in water.
“The possibility of rapidly measuring cyanotoxins directly from water samples using paper spray could transform the way testing is done across Canada," said Dr. Daniel Beach, a research officer with the biotoxin metrology lab in Halifax.
Cyanobacteria, some of the Earth’s earliest life forms, produce a range of toxins, known as cyanotoxins, that can be harmful. The researchers are focusing on three major types: microcystins, nodularin, and anatoxins.
Current methods of detecting cyanotoxins are costly and time-consuming, often relying on less reliable techniques like cell counting and visual inspection of blooms.
Gill stressed that just because a bloom isn’t visible doesn’t mean the water is safe.
The new paper spray mass spectrometry method allows researchers to analyze even tiny water samples, requiring only a fraction of a drop. Within two minutes, results are available, offering a much faster and simpler alternative to conventional methods.
“That’s why it’s revolutionary, there’s very little sample preparation,” said Gill.
Since 2014, VIU’s lab has been advancing paper spray mass spectrometry technology, with a particular focus on detecting algal toxins in the last three years.
