POTENTIALLY TOXIC CYANOBACTERIAL BLOOMS: AN EMERGING RISK IN PERUVIAN FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

Salazar-Torres A.; Branco S.; Azevedo S.M.F.O.E. · Oecologia Australis (2025) · DOI: 10.4257/oeco.2025.2904.03

Resumen

Potentially toxic cyanobacterial blooms generate harmful effects on public health, the economy, and aquatic ecosystems. The primary factor driving the increase in cyanobacteria biomass is anthropogenic eutrophication, which is further intensified by climate change. In response to the risks of exposure to cyanotoxins associated with these events, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published guidelines for water quality assessment based on cyanobacteria biovolume and cyanotoxin concentrations. Knowledge about cyanobacteria blooms in Latin America remains limited and fragmented, with particularly scarce information available for Peru. This study was conducted between 2018 and 2023 in two high-Andean reservoirs located in the Arequipa region of southern Peru, with the aim of evaluating the presence of cyanobacteria in freshwater ecosystems used as drinking water sources. In both reservoirs, maximum cyanobacteria biovolume and total microcystin concentrations reached 4.11 mm³ L-¹ and 67.20 μg L-¹ in El Pañe reservoir, and 4.09 mm³ L-¹ and 4.68 μg L-¹ in Dique Los Españoles reservoir, respectively. The results suggest that the use of untreated water from these reservoirs during cyanobacteria bloom events could compromise drinking water production, posing a significant public health risk if appropriate management and treatment measures are not implemented. This research highlights the potential threat these events represent for the local population and underscores the need to update Peruvian environmental regulations regarding the risks associated with cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, in accordance with WHO recommendations.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental