Accumulation of microcystins by a tropical zooplankton community

In the current study, the hepatotoxic peptide microcystins, were measured in the zooplankton community of Jacarepagua Lagoon during a 6-month period. Concurrent phytoplankton and seston samples were obtained. Microcystins were measured in seston and phytoplankton by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and in zooplankton by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA). Zooplankton community was comprised mainly by the rotifers Brachionus angularis and B. plicatilis, the cladocerans Moina micrura and Ceriodaphnia cornuta and the copepod Metacyclops mendocinus. Phytoplankton was dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa during all the studied period. Microcystins in zooplankton ranged from 0.3 to 16.4 mug g(-1) DW, while in the sestonic samples they ranged from undetectable values to 5.8 ng g(-1) DW. Microcystins in net phytoplankton ranged from 0.3 to 3.9 mg g(-1) DW. We conclude that zooplankton from Jacarepagua Lagoon were efficient accumulators of microcystins from seston and that these animals can be potential vectors in the transferring of such, toxins to higher trophic levels in the aquatic food chain. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.