Microcystins are present in water treatment plant residuals and are impacted by extraction and quantification methodology

Microcystins (MCs), a toxin produced by some species of the photosynthetic autotrophic cyanobacteria, are the most studied and monitored cyanotoxin in water. Water treatment plant (WTP) residuals are the byproduct of water treatment consisting of solids removed from WTP processes and have been shown to contain cyanobacterial cells. However, the presence of MCs in WTP residuals has not been systematically demonstrated. Samples from four different WTPs across the United States were used to quantify MCs in residuals while assessing extraction and quantification methods adapted from water samples for solid matrices. MCs were present in 100% of samples. MC-LA was the most prevalent variant in these samples (70.05% of MCs quantified by UPLC-PDA). Natural degradation observed in a WTP storage lagoon was also investigated to determine the impact of physical, chemical, and biological processes on MC concentrations in high-biomass residuals. This study demonstrates that residuals of various characteristics across the United States contain MCs, and no one method was found to maximize results consistently across all samples. Cyanotoxins accumulating in WTP residuals are a growing concern. Implications of this work can help regulations and future studies of potential reuse applications and understanding of potential ecological significance of MCs accumulating in WTP residuals.