Assessing the viability of the mussel V. ambiguus as a bioindicator of the environmental neurotoxin BMAA

Peters, Siobhan

Assessing the viability of the mussel V. ambiguus as a bioindicator of the environmental neurotoxin BMAA

Peters, Siobhan

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2025

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Peters, Siobhan
dc.date.accessioned	2025-11-11T00:17:45Z
dc.date.available	2025-11-11T00:17:45Z
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/190650
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Science.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	Cyanobacterial blooms are becoming more frequent in aquatic environments, raising concerns about their production of toxins, such as beta-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), a neurotoxin linked to neurodegenerative disease. Due to uncertainties in both its toxicity and current analytical approaches, BMAA is not routinely monitored or regulated. This thesis investigates the potential use of freshwater mussels (Velesunio ambiguus) as bioindicators for temporal BMAA monitoring. To establish the need for improved monitoring, BMAA concentrations were tracked across a single bloom event and shown to vary significantly, highlighting the limitations of single time-point sampling. A sensitive LC-MS/MS method was also developed for the analysis of BMAA in mussel tissue with lower limits of detection than previous reports. A controlled exposure study demonstrated that BMAA accumulated in mussels over time and was rapidly depurated post-exposure. Mussels were then deployed into two lakes in New South Wales during bloom periods, where they also accumulated BMAA, with concentrations reflecting bloom intensity. These findings demonstrate that V. ambiguus can uptake BMAA in both laboratory and environmental settings, supporting their use as bioindicators. This work provides a foundation for improved BMAA monitoring strategies and suggests future studies expand to other pollutants and environmental conditions.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/190650/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2025 Siobhan Peters
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	Assessing the viability of the mussel V. ambiguus as a bioindicator of the environmental neurotoxin BMAA	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

Cyanobacterial blooms are becoming more frequent in aquatic environments, raising concerns about their production of toxins, such as beta-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), a neurotoxin linked to neurodegenerative disease. Due to uncertainties in both its toxicity and current analytical approaches, BMAA is not routinely monitored or regulated. This thesis investigates the potential use of freshwater mussels (Velesunio ambiguus) as bioindicators for temporal BMAA monitoring. To establish the need for improved monitoring, BMAA concentrations were tracked across a single bloom event and shown to vary significantly, highlighting the limitations of single time-point sampling. A sensitive LC-MS/MS method was also developed for the analysis of BMAA in mussel tissue with lower limits of detection than previous reports. A controlled exposure study demonstrated that BMAA accumulated in mussels over time and was rapidly depurated post-exposure. Mussels were then deployed into two lakes in New South Wales during bloom periods, where they also accumulated BMAA, with concentrations reflecting bloom intensity. These findings demonstrate that V. ambiguus can uptake BMAA in both laboratory and environmental settings, supporting their use as bioindicators. This work provides a foundation for improved BMAA monitoring strategies and suggests future studies expand to other pollutants and environmental conditions.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/190650