Annual Research & Review in Biology
Human Health Risks from Toxic Microalgae: A Critical Narrative Review of Exposure Pathways, Toxin Syndromes and Risk Management
Harmful algal blooms and toxin-producing micro-organisms create a heterogeneous set of human health hazards that cannot be reduced to a single exposure pathway or clinical syndrome. Marine dinoflagellates and diatoms generate phycotoxins that accumulate in shellfish and finfish or become aerosolised at the sea surface, while toxin-producing freshwater cyanobacteria contaminate drinking and recreational waters and can also enter food webs. This critical narrative review evaluates the strength of evidence linking the …