Detection and identification of microcystins in the drinking water of Haimen City, China.
Cyanobacterial toxins, microcystins, have a potent tumor-promoting activity. We investigated the level of microcystins in drinking water collected from 1992 to 1994 in Haimen City, China, where people who drink pond ditch water usually incurred a high incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma compared with those who drink well water. High-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and protein phosphatase inhibition assay (pp assay) were used to identify and quantify the microcystins. Microcystin LR and [D-Asp3]microcystin LR were detected in 2 of 50 samples at a concentration less than 100 ng/L by LC/MS in 1992. Although no microcystins were found by the chemical method in 1993, 6 of 7 samples except for 3 tap water samples showed an approximate amount of 100 ng/L by using the pp assay in 1994. The obtained results supported the epidemiological results reported by Yu.
Harada
K
K
Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Tempaku, Japan.
Oshikata
M
M
Uchida
H
H
Suzuki
M
M
Kondo
F
F
Sato
K
K
Ueno
Y
Y
Yu
S Z
SZ
Chen
G
G
Chen
G C
GC
D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000737:chemistry; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment / Q000379:methods; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases