Saxitoxin (Cyanotoxin) Test

Overview

Not sure which toxin to test for? Start with the Rapid Bloom ID & Cell Count. Twenty-four hours and one sample identifies the organisms in your bloom, which tells you which toxin is plausible. Reach for a targeted toxin test once you know what you are dealing with — or when you already do.

The toxin that does not affect the liver. Saxitoxin is a neurotoxin — the same compound behind paralytic shellfish poisoning in coastal waters — and freshwater cyanobacteria produce it too.

It matters because a lake can test clean for microcystin and still be dangerous. A bloom dominated by Dolichospermum, Aphanizomenon, or Raphidiopsis may be producing saxitoxin while the microcystin result comes back low. Testing one toxin tells you nothing about the others.

Screening is by ELISA, the method behind most state recreational advisory programmes. Sensitive, fast, and appropriate for a swim-or-no-swim decision. It is not congener-specific — it reports a total, not a breakdown. Ask the Boathouse about LC-MS/MS confirmation if you need congener detail or a regulatory-grade result.

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.

What problem does this solve for our lake?

• There is a dangerous assumption buried in most lake monitoring: that testing for microcystin tells you whether a bloom is safe. It does not. It tells you about microcystin.
• Saxitoxin is a neurotoxin — the same compound behind paralytic shellfish poisoning in coastal waters — and freshwater cyanobacteria produce it too. It comes from different genera than microcystin does, principally Dolichospermum, Aphanizomenon, and Raphidiopsis. A lake experiencing one of those blooms can return a low microcystin result while carrying a neurotoxin the test never looked for.
• The consequence is a false all-clear, which is worse than no information. A board that has tested and been reassured will reopen a beach with more confidence than one that never tested at all. This is the test that closes that gap — and it is the reason identifying the organism first matters, because species composition is what tells you whether saxitoxin is even plausible in your water.

What's included?

• • A complete cyanotoxin sampling kit shipped directly to you • All materials required for clean, contamination-free sample collection • Step-by-step collection and preservation instructions written for a bloom event • Prepaid 2-day return shipping to our certified partner laboratory • ELISA analysis for total saxitoxin at an accredited partner laboratory, with full chain of custody • Results loaded automatically into your lake's account

What's not included

• • Sample collection. You collect the sample; we supply everything you need to do it correctly. • Identification of which organism produced the toxin. That is the Rapid Bloom ID & Cell Count. • Boat, dock, or shoreline access to your sampling site • Ice or a cooler for shipping, which you supply • Other cyanotoxins. Microcystin, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsin are separate analyses. • Congener or variant breakdown. ELISA reports a total. • A public health determination. We report the concentration; your state's advisory thresholds govern the decision. • Beach closure authority, signage, or notification to residents • Treatment, remediation, or applicator services

Requirements

• • A sample collected from the bloom itself if you are documenting an event, or from open water if you are characterizing the lake — the two answer different questions and should be labeled accordingly • Same-day shipment after collection • Ice and a cooler; the sample must stay cold in transit • Ideally, a Rapid Bloom ID result or other reason to believe this is the right toxin to test for • A Plus, Lake Admin, or PRO subscription to have results loaded into your Lake Pulse account • Questions about site selection, timing, or which toxin to test for? Contact the Lake Pulse Boathouse before you order.