Sistema Emisnet Impresión Final
FINANCIERO BBVA BANCOMER PAGINA /
During summer months of 1998-2009 there was a continuous (Monday–Friday, 8.00–16.00) telephone service of SYKE ("Citizens Algaline") from which the public could get information about cyanobacteria. On the average 350 telephone calls were received each summer, but concerning algal situation during summer (Monday-Friday, 13.00-15.00). Further, the 24-hour telephone service of the Poison Information Centre at Helsinki University Hospital remains available for those who are concerned that they might have been exposed to hazardous cyanotoxin levels.
Fig. 6: Planktothrix agardhii cell numbers (cells/ml) of the incoming raw water of a drinking wa- ter treatment plant. Dotted lines show the reference points for actions (500, 5000 and 100 000 cells/ml, Table 3). Note that high numbers of cyanobacteria existed also during the winter. Mi- crocystins were detectable occasionally in the treated water with a maximum concentration of 0.04 µg/L at the end of September in 2008.
Table 3: The points for action, actions to be undertaken and communication strategies to be adopted in the event that toxin-producing cyanobacteria (including Microcystis sp., Anabaena sp. and Planktothrixsp.) and microcystins are identified at facilities supplying water intended for hu- man consumption.
Reference point Actions Communication strategy
Incoming water: >500 cells/ml or >0.1mg/Lbiomass
• Increased monitoring of incoming water • Prepare to respond to enquiries
Incoming water: >5,000 cells/ml or >1 mg/Lbiomass
• Identify the genus of cyanobacteria in volved and assess levels in incoming wa- ter
• If toxin-producing cyanobacteria are de- tected, the microcystin concentration in the incoming water is to be determined • Potential health risks are assessed by
municipal health protection authority
• The facility should inform the municipal health pro- tection authority of the presence of cyanobacte- ria in the incoming water and the measures taken to manage the situation • Stand by to inform the
wider public Incoming water: toxin-
producing cells >100,000 cells/mlor >20 mg/L biomass or >1µg/Lmicrocystin
• Identify cyanobacteria and toxin concen- trations in drinking water
• Potential health risks are assessed by municipal health protection authority • Ensure the effectiveness of water treat-
ment processes, e.g. enhance coagula- tion/clarification or activated carbon filtra- tion
• Change water intake site, depth or source
• Following the investiga- tions, the facility must publish information on wa- ter quality with regard to cyanobacteria and toxins
Drinking water:
Toxin-producing cells or <1.0 µg/Lmicrocystin
• Identify cyanobacteria and toxin concen- trations in incoming and drinking water • Potential health risks are assessed by
municipal health protection authority • Change water intake site or source • Enhance water treatment processes
• The facility must publish information on drinking water quality and toxin levels jointly with the mu- nicipal health protection authority
Drinking water:
>1.0 µg/Lmicrocystins
• Identify cyanobacteria and toxin concen- trations in incoming and drinking water • If the concentration exceeds the limit as a
one-off occurrence, the decision on whether the water can continue to be used for drinking and cooking purposes is to be taken on a case-by-case basis
• In the event that the concentration re- mains elevated for a sustained period of time, the use of water for cooking or drink- ing purposes will be prohibited and the fa- cility will organise the distribution of alter- native water supplies to the affected popu- lation
• Change water intake site, depth or source • Enhance water treatment processes
• The facility will communi- cate the restrictions on water usage and water quality with regard to cyanobacteria and toxins jointly with the municipal health protection authority • Information provided on
the health effects of mi- crocystins
• Information to include details of alternative water distribution arrangements
Drinking water:
>10.0 µg/Lmicrocystins
• Identify cyanobacteria and toxin concen- trations in incoming water and drinking water
• Water not to be used for domestic pur- poses except for toilet flushing
• Communicate ban on water use
• Communicate alternative water distribution arange- ments
Conclusions
Visual monitoring of cyanobacteria in water bodies allows a cost-effective, rapid and sufficiently reliable warning of water users for risk management purposes. In Finland, a cost-effective moni- toring network has been developed. It has arisen as a consequence of public awareness and interest, actions taken by the authorities and targeted national research funding. The network produces information for health authorities for decision making, information on the ecological condition of the water bodies, and it also meets the needs of informing the public. Health au- thorities have been given guidelines since the late 1980's to monitor cyanobacteria in public beaches, drinking water sources and treated drinking water.
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