Spatial distribution of cyanotoxins and ratios of microcystin to biomass indicators in the reservoirs of the Volga,Kama and Don Rivers,the European part of Russia

We studied the distribution of cyanotoxins and potential producers, as well as the variability of microcystin to biomass parameters (chlorophyll-a; MC/Chl-a; and biovolume; MC/BV) in 12 drinking water reservoirs of the world’s largest reservoir system, the Volga-Kama-Don cascade (European part of Russia) during the summers of 2016 and 2018. MC concentrations varied from below 0.1 μg L^?1 in June up to 16.4 μg L^?1 in August and exceeded 1 μg L^-1 in 25 % of the samples. This MC variability was associated to changes in the abundance of widespread bloom formers such as Microcystis spp., Dolichospermum spp. and Planktothrix agardhii. Ratios of MC/Chl-a and MC/BV_cyano ranged up to 0.88 μg μg^?1 and 4.5 μg mm^?³, respectively. Together with microcystin profiles MC/BV_cyano ratios characterized cyanobacterial populations along the reservoir cascade and they indicated a potential toxin hazard better than MC/Chl-a. The neurotoxin anatoxin-a was observed only in the most southern and hypereutrophic Tsimlyansk Reservoir (maximum 0.01 μg L^?1). Toxin gene analysis revealed that MC mostly originated from Microcystis and Dolichospermum. During their co-existence up to 14 MC congeners co-occurred. Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi cf. Raphidiopsis mediterranea was identified as possible neurotoxin producers.