Notice of Availability of Notification Level Recommendations for Four Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water
May
24
Written by:
5/24/2021 12:57 PM
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) notification level (NL) recommendations for four cyanotoxins as follows:
Cyanotoxin |
Recommendation |
Health Effect |
Anatoxin-a |
NL: 4 µg/L |
Neurotoxicity |
Saxitoxins |
Interim NL: 0.6 µg/L |
Neurotoxicity |
Microcystins |
Interim NL: 0.03 µg/L |
Spermatotoxicity |
Cylindrospermopsin |
Interim NL: 0.3 µg/L |
Liver Toxicity |
Weck Laboratories has been performing Cyanotoxins for the EPA UCMR4 program since 2018 and supports the recommended Notification Levels employing EPA Methods 544 and 545 which utilize EPA LC/MS/MS technology.
Cyanotoxins are toxins produced by cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, during algal blooms. Notification levels are health-based advisory levels established by the SWRCB Division of Drinking Water for chemicals that lack drinking water regulatory standards (maximum contamintant levels, or MCLs). When chemicals are found at concentrations greater than their NLs, certain requirements and recommendations apply. The NL recommendation memo for anatoxin-a and the memo for the other three cyanotoxins are available for download below:
Anatoxin-A Notification Level Recommendation
Recommendation for Interim Notification Levels for Saxitoxins, Microcystins, and Cylindrospermopsin
Additional information regarding EPA Health Advisory Guidelines, released in 2015, can be found at:
Recommendations for Public Water Systems to Manage Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water | Ground Water and Drinking Water | US EPA