Lake Balaton Blue-green algae project. Interim report 1996

Abstract

The Lake Balaton Blue-green Algae Project is carried out as a research cooperation between Hungary and Norway under the bilateral agreement maintained by The Hungarian Ministry of Environment and The Norwegian Ministry of Environment. The research task is performed as a joint venture made by the Balaton Limnological Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Science (BLRI) and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). The research project was established in 1996 to provide a better scientific background for understanding the environment and health problems related to the mass development of toxin producing blue-green algae in Lake Balaton. The year 1996 was used for introductory work preparations. Field observations in Lake Balaton and Kis-Balaton provided information about the presence and conditions of blue-green algae and the prevailing water quality. The preliminary results from 1996 indicate that the phytoplankton of Lake Balaton contains several potential toxigenic species of blue-greens, besides Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. The production of cyanotoxins in Lake Balaton - as experienced in other comparable geographical areas - will very likely include substances with hepatoxic, neurotoxic and protracted toxic effects.