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.

The toxin that does not affect the liver. Saxitoxin is a neurotoxin — the same compound behind paralytic shellfish poisoning in coastal waters — and freshwater cyanobacteria produce it too.

It matters because a lake can test clean for microcystin and still be dangerous. A bloom dominated by Dolichospermum, Aphanizomenon, or Raphidiopsis may be producing saxitoxin while the microcystin result comes back low. Testing one toxin tells you nothing about the others.

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.