A review is presented of how one defines emerging contaminants and what can be included in that group of contaminants which is preferably termed "contaminants of emerging concern". An historical perspective is given on the evolution of the issues surrounding emerging contaminants and how environmental scientists have tackled this issue. This begins with global lead contamination from the Romans...

Concern is widely being published that the occurrence of toxic cyanobacteria increasing in consequence climate change and eutrophication, substantially threatening human health. Here, we review evidence pertinent publications to explore which types waterbodies likely exacerbate cyanobacterial blooms; whether controlling blooms toxin concentrations requires a balanced approach reducing not only ...

Increased nutrient concentrations have been linked to water quality impairments across the world. In Lake Victoria, second largest freshwater lake in world, decades of eutrophication challenged management and led conditions with compromising levels cyanobacteria cyanotoxins. Our study focuses on Winam Gulf, where a resurgence hyacinth has renewed challenges navigation anoxia, but also may prese...

Cyanobacteria are a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health because of their ability produce cyanotoxins, such as microcystins (MCs). MCs regularly monitored in fresh waters, but rarely estuarine marine waters despite the possibility downstream export. Over period two years, we monthly analyzed intracellular (in phytoplankton) extracellular (dissolved water) at five stations alo...

The importance of nitrogen (N) versus phosphorus (P) in explaining total cyanobacterial biovolume, the biovolume of specific cyanobacterial taxa, and the incidence of cyanotoxins was determined for 102 north German lakes, using methods to separate the effects of joint variation in N and P concentration from those of differential variation in N versus P. While the positive relationship between t...

An outbreak of acute liver failure occurred at a dialysis center in Caruaru, Brazil (8 degrees 17' S, 35 degrees 58' W), 134 km from Recife, the state capital of Pernambuco. At the clinic, 116 (89%) of 131 patients experienced visual disturbances, nausea, and vomiting after routine hemodialysis treatment on 13-20 February 1996. Subsequently, 100 patients developed acute liver failure, and of th...