TOXIC - Barriers against cyanotoxins in drinking water

TOXIC focused on the reduction of human health risk due to the occurrence of potentially toxic cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in drinking water sources. The project proposed multidisciplinary aspects ranging from raw water monitoring and cyanotoxin identification and the analysis of the behaviour of cyanobacteria and their toxins during water treatment processes, including cost evaluation, application and exploitation of the results by potential end-users. With respect to the WHO Guideline Value of 1.0 ùg/L for microcystin-LR in drinking water, TOXIC provided tools for early-warning in the case of massive algal blooms as well as cost-effective and problem-driven treatment approaches. An Internet-based cyanobacteria platform, "Best practise" guidances for raw water monitoring, analysis and treatment as well as a commercially available software package for treatment simulation were among the expected project results.