Effect of environmental factors on cyanobacterial blooms and cyanotoxin production in freshwater
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24850/j-tyca-2026-04-07Keywords:
aquatic ecosystems, freshwater, bacteria, eutrophication, toxicology, climate change, literature reviewsAbstract
Aquatic ecosystems currently face increasing threats due to climate change and anthropogenic activities. Eutrophication promotes the proliferation of cyanobacteria capable of producing cyanotoxins that disrupt ecosystems and pose risks to public health. Their distribution, frequency, and intensity have increased globally, generating growing interest in understanding the environmental factors that regulate their occurrence. The objective of this study was to conduct an integrative systematic review of the literature published between 2020 and 2024, to analyze the influence of environmental variables on cyanobacterial blooms and their relationship with cyanotoxin production, as well as to identify knowledge gaps and recent trends surrounding the genetic regulation of these processes. For this purpose, the databases Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were selected for their broad thematic coverage and editorial quality in environmental sciences. Although blooms have been established to be more frequent in warm latitudes, some species were found to also proliferate in cold waters. Toxin production is not always related to cell density but to the expression of toxigenic genes sensitive to temperature and nutrient availability. In contrast, parameters such as solar radiation have been less studied, despite evidence suggesting that, together with high temperatures, they may induce cyanotoxin synthesis. This review highlights the need to address these underestimated factors to better anticipate future scenarios under the context of climate change.
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