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Opportunities and Challenges in Using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) Samplers for Monitoring Cyanotoxins in Freshwater and Estuarine Environments

Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5093
Water Resources Mission Area—National Water Quality Program
By: , , , , , , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255093

Links

  • Document: Report (9.8 MB pdf) , HTML , XML
  • Data Releases:
    • USGS data release - Cyanotoxin concentrations in extracts from cyanobacteria colonies, plankton net tows, and Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers in western rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, including drinking water sources in the Oregon Cascades: 2016-2020
    • USGS data release - Cyanotoxin Concentrations in Extracts from Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) and Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films (DGT) Samplers in Owasco Lake, Seneca Lake, and Skaneateles Lake, Finger Lakes Region, New York, 2019
    • USGS data release - Cyanobacteria, Cyanotoxin, Cyanotoxin Synthetase Gene, and other Water-Quality Data Collected from Five River Basins in the North Atlantic Appalachian Region, August through September, 2020
    • USGS data release - Cyanotoxins in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: Fixed Station Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers
    • USGS data release - Cyanotoxin concentrations in extracts from Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers and other water-quality data collected from the Salem River, New Jersey, July-October, 2020
    • USGS data release - Cyanobacteria, other water-quality, and discharge data collected from the Raritan River Basin, New Jersey, August 2020 through August 2021
  • Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

Cyanobacterial toxins (cyanotoxins) represent a substantial threat to drinking water supplies and safe recreational uses of freshwater resources in watersheds worldwide. Monitoring cyanotoxins can be difficult because toxin events are variable in both space and time, are not always persistent, can be moved easily by wind and currents, and may be degraded biotically or abiotically. Thus, monitoring programs that collect discrete samples on a monthly or even bimonthly interval can miss key events and underestimate cyanotoxin risk or if they capture a high-concentration event, can give a false impression that cyanotoxins are a widespread health hazard. The use of Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers helps address this issue by providing a time-weighted average estimate of dissolved cyanotoxin occurrence and relative concentrations. SPATT samplers have been used as a complement to traditional monitoring programs and can help elucidate cyanotoxin dynamics. SPATT samplers have been used by six U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Centers (New York, California, Oregon, Upper Midwest, New Jersey, and Lower Mississippi-Gulf) to monitor various cyanotoxins in waterbodies such as streams, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, estuaries, and drinking- water intakes. Despite their use across the USGS, there is little guidance available to ensure consistent approaches and data quality across the Bureau. This report summarizes best practices for SPATT deployment and analysis, synthesizes data and describes lessons learned from USGS studies, identifies priority knowledge gaps, and offers considerations for future targeted experiments to help improve data collection and interpretation.

Suggested Citation

Jaegge, A.C., Bouma-Gregson, K., Byl, T.D., Carpenter, K.D., Christensen, V.G., Gorney, R.M., Graham, J.L., Heckathorn, H.A., Olds, H.T., Reilly, P.A., Rosen, J.J., and Stouder, M.D., 2026, Opportunities and challenges in using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers for monitoring cyanotoxins in freshwater and estuarine environments: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2025–5093, 39 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255093.

ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Generating Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking Data
  • Deploying Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking Samplers
  • Cyanotoxin Extraction and Analyses
  • Conclusions and Considerations for Future Science
  • Summary
  • References Cited
  • Appendix 1. Reducing Matrix Effects to Improve Cyanotoxin Detection
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Opportunities and challenges in using Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) samplers for monitoring cyanotoxins in freshwater and estuarine environments
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2025-5093
DOI 10.3133/sir20255093
Publication Date April 13, 2026
Year Published 2026
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) California Water Science Center
Description Report: x, 39 p.; 6 Data Releases
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional publication details