Change in cyanobacterial biovolume due to preservation by Lugol's Iodine

Cyanobacterial biovolume is used as a guide to the public health risk from these organisms for users of potable and recreational waters. Most routine surveillance programs preserve phytoplankton samples before analysis. We tested the effect of Lugol's Iodine, a common preservative, on the cell biovolume of four common freshwater cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena circinalis, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Aphanocapsa incerta. Linear dimensions and cell area were measured with an image analyser. All four species shrank after preservation. The magnitude of shrinkage varied with species and preservation time but was not affected by Lugol's concentration. The maximum shrinkage in each species was a 30–40% reduction compared to the live cell biovolume. These results suggest shrinkage can be a greater source of uncertainty in estimating the biovolume of toxigenic cyanobacteria in aquatic environments than natural variability in the cell dimensions, instrument precision or cell counting. Standardised cyanobacterial biovolume lists based on agreed geometric shapes and formulae would improve the value of this information for public health risk assessment.