Toxic cyanobacteria: Ecological impacts and health risks: FPK, Hassan I University FSSM, Cadi Ayyad

Cyanobacteria are blue-green algae that produce cyanotoxins, which are potentially neurotoxic and/or hepatotoxic. They can be found in a wide variety of aquatic environments. From an ecological perspective, the presence of toxic cyanobacteria in an aquatic environment causes problems affecting all links in the aquatic food chain: zooplankton, fish and plants. Not to mention the threat to the preservation of the quality and biodiversity of aquatic resources. In the agricultural sector, cyanotoxins could have a negative impact on both the yield and quality of crops and on livestock, causing very significant economic losses. Furthermore, public health authorities in several countries around the world consider the potential health impact to be serious enough to justify a ban on any contact with, or consumption of, raw water, aquatic animals and plants from affected areas. Toxic cyanobacteria constitute a source of contamination that threatens both the quality of drinking water and the health of consumers.