Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) Technology for the Monitoring of Aquatic Toxins: A Review

The Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) technology, first introduced in 2004, uses porous synthetic resins capable of passively adsorbing toxins produced by harmful microalgae or cyanobacteria and dissolved in the water. This method allows for the detection of toxic compounds directly in the water column and offers numerous advantages over current monitoring techniques (e.g., shellfish or fish testing and microalgae/cyanobacteria cell detection), despite some limitations. Numerous laboratory and field studies, testing different adsorbent substrates of which Diaion® HP20 resin appears to be the most versatile substrate, have been carried out worldwide to assess the applicability of these passive monitoring devices to the detection of toxins produced by a variety of marine and freshwater microorganisms. SPATT technology has been shown to provide reliable, sensitive and time-integrated sampling of various aquatic toxins, and also has the potential to provide an early warning system for both the occurrence of toxic microalgae or cyanobacteria and bioaccumulation of toxins in foodstuffs. This review describes the wide range of lipophilic and hydrophilic toxins associated with toxin-producing harmful algal blooms (HABs) that are successfully detected by SPATT devices. Implications in terms of monitoring of emerging toxic risks and reinforcement of current risk assessment programs are also discussed

Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) technology for the monitoring of aquatic toxins : a review

The Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) technology, first introduced in 2004, uses porous synthetic resins capable of passively adsorbing toxins produced by harmful microalgae or cyanobacteria and dissolved in the water. This method allows for the detection of toxic compounds directly in the water column and offers numerous advantages over current monitoring techniques (e.g., shellfish or fish testing and microalgae/cyanobacteria cell detection), despite some limitations. Numerous laboratory and field studies, testing different adsorbent substrates of which Diaion((R)) HP20 resin appears to be the most versatile substrate, have been carried out worldwide to assess the applicability of these passive monitoring devices to the detection of toxins produced by a variety of marine and freshwater microorganisms. SPATT technology has been shown to provide reliable, sensitive and time-integrated sampling of various aquatic toxins, and also has the potential to provide an early warning system for both the occurrence of toxic microalgae or cyanobacteria and bioaccumulation of toxins in foodstuffs. This review describes the wide range of lipophilic and hydrophilic toxins associated with toxin-producing harmful algal blooms (HABs) that are successfully detected by SPATT devices. Implications in terms of monitoring of emerging toxic risks and reinforcement of current risk assessment programs are also discussed

Ciguatéra : aspects écologiques, biologiques et toxicologiques

La ciguatéra est une intoxication résultant de la consommation de produits marins d'ambiance corallienne contaminés par des toxines marines, les ciguatoxines (CTXs), qui agissent préférentiellement sur les canaux sodiques dépendants du potentiel d'action. Cette pathologie, hautement prévalente dans les régions tropicales et intertropicales du globe, se caractérise par des troubles digestifs, neurologiques, cutanés, cardiovasculaires et respiratoires d'intensité variable, parfois compliqués par la survenue de cas chroniques et l'absence de traitement réellement efficace, sauf peut-être au sein de la pharmacopée traditionnelle. Le principal agent causal de cette pathologie est un dinoflagellé benthique, Gambierdiscus spp., qui se caractérise par une diversité morphologique et moléculaire remarquable (11 espèces connues à ce jour) et une très large répartition géographique. Plus récemment, l'implication potentielle de cyanobactéries marines dans des formes atypiques de ciguatéra a également été documentée. Les perturbations environnementales (e.g. températures élevées) et d'origine anthropique infligées aux écosystèmes coralliens sont autant de facteurs déclenchant des flambées ciguatériques. Seules certaines lignées de Gambierdiscus sont génétiquement capables de produire des CTXs. Ces dernières se répartissent en 3 grandes familles correspondant aux 3 zones d'endémie de la maladie (i.e. Pacifique, Caraïbes et Océan Indien), soit plus d'une quarantaine d'analogues chimiques. En dépit de la large panoplie de tests de détection déjà disponibles (tests in vivo, in vitro voire même traditionnels), il n'existe actuellement aucun test de référence dûment validé, ce qui constitue un obstacle majeur à l'exploitation durable des ressources pisciaires