| Marine biotoxins have plagued humans for centuries. Researchers have begun to untangle the complex relationships and conditions that cause certain marine biotoxins to reach lethal concentrations and cause catastrophic damage to the economy. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) Toxins are the most deadly group of marine biotoxins. This particular group of toxins is most commonly associated with "red tide"; otherwise known as a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB). The term, red tide, is derived from the color of the sea during a HAB event where the concentration of PSP components are so dense as to alter the color of seawater. However, it is somewhat misleading, as several marine biotoxins can also contribute to red tide.; Research surrounding the detection of this particular group of toxins involves testing for the PSP toxins before, during and after an HAB. Many of the current methods used for the detection of PSP toxins may well be burdened with interference from naturally occurring compounds. The research presented herein describes a model system for the detection of PSP toxins that includes methods to eliminate any potential interference. Due to the lethal nature of the PSP toxins, working directly with the toxins was avoided through the use of chemically similar test analogs. The methods include ion exchange and HPLC, fluorescence and UV/VIS. The model system was challenged with actual PSP toxins along with potentially interfering substances. The PSP toxins were detected without any interference. This test system is scalable for large numbers of samples. |
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