Tag Archives: neurotoxin

Natural Toxins and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs): Analysis, Toxicity, and Risks

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The following post is one of a series previewing the research that will be presented at the  in Rome, Italy (13-17 May 2018).

A guest post by Gemma Giménez Papiol

How do toxic natural compounds such as microalgae toxins or plant secondary metabolites affect water quality, ecosystem functioning, and human health?  For the majority of natural toxins—of which there are at least 25,000 different compounds—we do not know! Natural toxins include some of the worlds’ most toxic substances. Continue reading →

BMAA, Neurodegenerative Damage, and the Need for Monitoring

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By Roberta Attanasio, IEAM Blog Editor

BMAA

BMAA, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under

BMAA, or beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine, is a potent neurotoxin linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease), Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Produced by virtually every known species of cyanobacteria, BMAA increases in concentration as it moves up the food chain—a process known as biomagnification or bioaccumulation—in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Continue reading →