STRONG PROBABILITY OF LETHAL TOXICITY IN THE BLUE-GREEN ALGA MICROCYSTIS VIRIDIS LEMMERMANN1

Lethal toxicity (intraperitoneal, mouse) was examined in relation to Species composition of samples containing bloom-forming Microcystis populations from natural waters and correlated with toxicity of laboratory strains of four Microcystis formas and species. Toxicity was not always associated with the presence of M. aeruginosa f . aeruginosa Elenkin. A sample with almost all cells of M. aeruginosa f . aeruginosa showed no toxicity, However samples comprised of a high percentage of M. viridis Lemmermann often showed lethal toxicity. Toxicity tests were done on culture strains M. aeruginosa f aeruginosa, M. aeruginosa f flos-aquae Elenkin , M. viridis and M. wesenbergii Kamárek. All five cultured strains of M. viridis were found to be toxic, while only one out of nine strains of M. aeruginosa f . aeruginosa was toxic. Six strains of M. wesenbergii showed no toxicity, It is recommended that attention should be paid to the occurrences and possibility of toxic bloom of M. viridis from the standpoint of water management and public health .