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Cyanobacteria in water
Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, thrive under favorable conditions such as high nutrient levels in the water and high temperature.Photo: Shutterstock

Cyanotoxins can cause serious health problems and, in some cases, death. Proper monitoring of water quality will reduce health risks and economic losses due to blue-green algae blooms. This research project aims to develop effective tools for the rapid detection of two groups of cyanotoxins.

01 Dec 2024 - 30 Nov 2027
Faggruppe for toksikologi

Water4All, Horizon Europe, EU

About the project

  • Background

    The background of the MISSION project is to address the growing public health concern related to toxigenic cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, which can form harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) in freshwater and brackish water. These cyanobacteria thrive under favorable conditions such as high nutrient levels in the water, high temperatures, and stable hydrodynamic conditions, leading to a rapid increase in biomass and production of cyanotoxins. Cyanotoxins can cause serious health problems, including death in extreme cases, and exposure often occurs through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water, skin contact, swallowing water during recreational activities, and inhalation of aerosols.

    The economic costs associated with cyanotoxins in Europe are estimated to be between 120 and 1000 million euros annually. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for some cyanotoxins, the concentration of many cyanotoxins in drinking water is not fully regulated in EU countries. This creates a need for better monitoring tools. Current methods for detecting cyanotoxins involve on-site sampling and transport to specialized laboratories, which can take several days and delay decision-making.

  • Aim

    The MISSION project will develop a portable and cost-effective tool for the rapid on-site detection of two groups of cyanotoxins, microcystins (MCs) and saxitoxins (STXs). This will improve water quality monitoring and reduce health risks and economic losses caused by cyanobacteria blooms. The project brings together experts from Portugal, Norway, and Italy to develop and validate new sensor technologies that are cost-effective and can be used outside the laboratory by operators without specialized training.

Participants

  • NMBU
  • External participants
    Alisa Rudnitskaya

    Alisa Rudnitskaya

    University of Aveiro

    Maria Teresa Seabra dos Reis Gomes

    University of Aveiro

    Marta Verissimo

    University of Aveiro

    Maria João Botelho

    Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA)

    Catarina Churro

    Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA)

    Sara T. Costa

    Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA)

    Marta Fraga

    Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA)

    Larisa Lvova

    Tor Vergata University of Rome

    Roberta Congestri

    Tor Vergata University of Rome

    Michal Mielnik

    Michal Mielnik

    SINTEF

    Linda Sønstevold

    Linda Sønstevold

    SINTEF

    Frøydis Sved Skottvoll

    Frøydis Sved Skottvoll

    SINTEF

    Joao Padua

    João Pádua

    Forskningsleder ved LABELEC Estudos, Desenvolvimento e Actividades Laboratoriais, S.A.

    Alexandre Almeida

    LABELEC Estudos, Desenvolvimento e Actividades Laboratoriais, S.A.

    Sónia Gonçalves

    LABELEC Estudos, Desenvolvimento e Actividades Laboratoriais, S.A.

    Severio Savio

    AlgaRes srl