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Igor Mrdjen - Dissertation 07-09-18.pdf (2.11 MB)

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Harmful Algal Blooms in Small Lakes: Causes, Health Risks, and Novel Exposure Prevention Strategies

Mrdjen, Igor
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4201-8826
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1531135626251706

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Public Health.
The increasing frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs) has quickly become an environmental health concern worldwide. As rates of anthropogenic nutrient use rise with growing food demand, and as extreme precipitation events are expected to increase with the changing climate, rates of nutrient influx into watersheds are expected to increase. With increasing nutrient loads and temperatures in watersheds, many of the world’s water bodies and reservoirs are becoming eutrophic, establishing optimal conditions for HAB formation. HABs may change the ecology of water bodies; produce hypoxic zones resulting in fish deaths; and produce cyanotoxin compounds toxic to the liver, nervous system, and reproductive system of most eukaryotic organisms. Human and animal exposure to the most commonly occurring cyanotoxin, microcystin (MC), has been linked with hepatotoxicity, nausea, vomiting, and death in extreme circumstances. Within the MC family of toxins, microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is the most common, possesses the highest toxicity, and is cited as a suspected carcinogen. While HAB mitigation and MC exposure prevention efforts have often focused on large lakes and bodies of water, small lakes and ponds (SLaPs) remain understudied and unmonitored. SLaPs are the most numerous lentic bodies of water worldwide, providing vital ecosystem services and biodiversity support. Due to their location, low volume, and seasonal water level changes, SLaPs are at an increased risk for eutrophication and HAB formation. SLaPs have many uses including recreation, aquaculture, irrigation, and even drinking water sources in economically stressed areas of the world. The utility of SLaPs presents a potential exposure pathway to HABs and MC compounds. While our knowledge base of MC-related health outcomes continues to grow, several gaps exist, including: low dose, chronic exposure outcomes; differences in toxicity between pure toxic compounds and crude cyanobacterial extracts; and the cancer promoting role of MCs. Finally, current satellite-based remote sensing methods demonstrate several limitations in the study and monitoring of HAB formation in SLaPs, including: land adjacency effect contamination, prohibitive costs, and inadequate spatial and temporal resolutions. The overall goal of this work is to address the existing knowledge gaps pertaining to HAB appearance in SLaPs, MC toxicity from chronic and acute exposures, and to improve the current monitoring methods.
Jiyoung Lee (Advisor)
Christopher Weghorst (Committee Member)
CK Shum (Committee Member)
Qinghua Sun (Committee Member)
182 p.
Aquatic Sciences; Biology; Ecology; Environmental Health; Environmental Science; Geology; Land Use Planning; Public Health; Remote Sensing; Water Resource Management
harmful algal bloom; microcystin; carcinogenesis; cancer; algae; cyanobacteria; community; tile drainage; drone; UAV; remote sensing; NDVI; toxicity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mrdjen, I. (2018). Harmful Algal Blooms in Small Lakes: Causes, Health Risks, and Novel Exposure Prevention Strategies [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1531135626251706

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mrdjen, Igor. Harmful Algal Blooms in Small Lakes: Causes, Health Risks, and Novel Exposure Prevention Strategies. 2018. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1531135626251706.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mrdjen, Igor. "Harmful Algal Blooms in Small Lakes: Causes, Health Risks, and Novel Exposure Prevention Strategies." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1531135626251706

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1531135626251706
310
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.
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