A lack of association between increases in gastrointestinal, liver, and urologic cancers and cyanobacterial contamination of fresh water lakes in Manitoba

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-10, Vol.27 (28), p.35852-35858
• Main Authors: Labine, Meaghan A., Shu, Emma, Xue, Lin, Mak, Giselle, Griffith, Jane, Minuk, Gerald Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Aquatic plants; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacterial Toxins; Cancer; Contamination; Criteria; Cyanobacteria; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Fish; Fresh water; Freshwater lakes; Health; Humans; Lakes; Liver; Liver cancer; Manitoba; Microcystins; Nutrition; Quality standards; Research Article; Toxins; Urologic Neoplasms; Urological cancer; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water quality
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09731-y

Cyanobacteria or blue-green algae are becoming increasingly abundant in North American fresh water lakes. Toxins produced by cyanobacteria have been associated with gastrointestinal injury, liver failure, and nephrotoxicity. They have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal and liver cancers. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the incidence rates of gastrointestinal, liver, and urologic cancers are increasing in the province of Manitoba and, if so, whether these increases spatially and/or temporally correlate with areas where cyanobacterial contamination of fresh water lakes have been identified. Cancer incidence data were obtained from the Manitoba Cancer Registry. Cyanobacterial contamination data, as reflected by microcystin toxin concentrations, were available from the Manitoba Water Stewardship. ArcGIS mapping was employed to document spatial and temporal relationships between cancer incidence and cyanobacterial data. The results revealed that although the incidence rates for all three cancers have increased over the past 20–25 years, these increases were not disproportionally higher in zones with high microcystin toxin determinations. The results of this study argue against increased exposure to cyanotoxins as an explanation for the increase in gastrointestinal, liver and urologic cancers in Manitoba.