title: Vulnerability of Quebec drinking-water treatment plants to cyanotoxins in a climate change context.
abstract: Cyanobacteria are a growing concern in the province of Quebec due to recent highly publicised bloom episodes. The health risk associated with the consumption of drinking water coming from contaminated sources was unknown. A study was undertaken to evaluate treatment plants' capacity to treat cyanotoxins below the maximum recommended concentrations of 1.5 microg/L microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and the provisional concentration of 3.7 microg/L anatoxin-a, respectively. The results showed that close to 80% of the water treatment plants are presently able to treat the maximum historical concentration measured in Quebec (5.35 microg/L MC-LR equ.). An increase, due to climate change or other factors, would not represent a serious threat because chlorine, the most popular disinfectant, is effective in treating MC-LR under standard disinfection conditions. The highest concentration of anatoxin-a (2.3 microg/L) measured in natural water thus far in source water is below the current guideline for treated waters. However, higher concentrations of anatoxin-a would represent a significant challenge for the water industry as chlorine is not an efficient treatment option. The use of ozone, potassium permanganate or powder activated carbon would have to be considered.
authors.affiliation: Département des Génies Civil, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Géologique et des Mines, C.P.6079, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3A7, Canada. annie.carriere@polymtl.ca
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carrière
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prévost
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zamyadi
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chevalier
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barbeau
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry*; D057231:Climate Change; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; D011634:Public Health; D011792:Quebec; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins