Toxic cyanobacteria blooms in Portuguese freshwaters – a summarized overview

Abstract

Toxic cyanobacteria are common in Portuguese freshwaters and are a cause of concern, given that exposure to subacute levels of cyanobacterial toxins through drinking and recreational water might have deleterious effects on human health. Since 1996 several laboratories have been involved in the screening of cyanotoxins in different freshwater bodies, some on regularly basis and others more sporadically. Here we summarized the main data obtained by our laboratory during the last years, in order to give a simplified overview of the quality and diversity of our freshwater resources in terms of cyanobacteria occurrence.