Not sure which toxin to test for? Start with the Rapid Bloom ID & Cell Count. Twenty-four hours and one sample identifies the organisms in your bloom, which tells you which toxin is plausible. Reach for a targeted toxin test once you know what you are dealing with — or when you already do.

Microcystin is the most common cyanotoxin in North American fresh water and the one most state advisory thresholds are written around. It is a liver toxin, produced by Microcystis and several other genera, and it is the toxin that closes beaches.

Screening uses the ADDA-ELISA approach behind EPA Method 546, which responds to over a hundred known microcystin congeners as a single total.

Screening is by ELISA, the method behind most state recreational advisory programmes. Sensitive, fast, and appropriate for a swim-or-no-swim decision. It is not congener-specific — it reports a total, not a breakdown. Ask the Boathouse about LC-MS/MS confirmation if you need congener detail or a regulatory-grade result.

Cyanobacteria produce more toxins than these three. Cylindrospermopsin, nodularin, guanitoxin, lyngbyatoxin, BMAA and others can all appear in fresh water. If you need a toxin not listed in the Toolbox, contact Lake Pulse and we will arrange it.