Start here. If a bloom has appeared and you do not know what you are looking at, this is the first test to run. The toxin tests in the Toolbox — microcystin, saxitoxin, anatoxin-a — each answer a narrow question. This one tells you which of them to ask.

A bloom appears and the first question is not how much toxin is in the water. It is what do I have? Different cyanobacteria produce different toxins, and a toxin test chosen without knowing the organism is a guess with a price tag.

Microscopic identification and cell counts of the harmful algal bloom taxa in your sample, with results in 24 hours of the lab receiving it. The kit arrives complete with cooler, ice pack, and an overnight return shipping label.

Microcystis points you at microcystin. Dolichospermum or Aphanizomenon points you at anatoxin or saxitoxin. A bloom that turns out to be a harmless green alga points you at nothing, and saves you the cost of finding out the expensive way.

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.