The conference on The Water Environment: Algal Toxins and Health was held at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, on June 29, 30, July 1, 2, 1980. Its principal objectives were to bring together, for the first time, researchers, public officials and interested parties in order to present and discuss what is known about algal toxins. The conference concentrated almost exclusively on toxins and toxic blooms of blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria). Since the most common Cyanobacteria bloom forming species are also the ones most likely to produce toxins, they are a problem in the maintenance of safe animal and human water supplies. While poison- ings by Cyanobacteria involve mainly domestic and wild animals, they may also be responsible for cases of human gastroenteritis and con- tact poisoning. Even though human poisonings by Cyanobacteria have historically not been a widespread problem, continued deterioration of our recreational and municipal water supplies suggests that blooms of non-toxic and toxic Cyanobacteria blooms will increase. In addi- tion to studies on their role as disease agents, there is basic research being done on their pharmacological properties to determine their mode of action and usefulness as tools in the study of basic neuromuscular mechanisms. These papers were centrally typed for reproduction as camera- ready copy. Each paper was reviewed and edited by at least two per- sons of the editorial committee. This volume is organized into five major sections: 1.

Table of Contents:
I. Review of Toxic Algae.- Freshwater Blue-green Algae (Cyanobacteria) Toxins - A Review.- Toxins from Marine Blue-green Algae.- Poisons Produced by Dinoflagellates - A Review.- The Toxic Principles of Prymnesium parvum.- II. Occurrence and Ecology of Toxic Cyanobacteria.- Studies on the Ecology, Growth and Physiology of Toxic Microcystis aeruginosa in South Africa.- Autecological Studies on Microcystis.- Is a Plasmid(s) Involved in the Toxicity of Microcystis aeruginosa?.- A Toxic Bloom of Anabaena flos-aquae in Hebgen Reservoir Montana in 1977.- Morphology of Toxic versus Non-Toxic Strains of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae.- The Occurrence of Toxic Cyanophyte Blooms in Australia.- The Recent Blue-green Algal Blooms of Long Lake, Washington.- The Mosaic Nature of Toxic Blooms of Cyanobacteria.- III. Culturing Methods and Reports of New Toxic Species.- Collection, Purification, and Culture of Cyanobacteria.- Culture of Planktonic Cyanophytes on Agar.- The Effect of Physico-chemical Factors on Growth Relevant to Mass Culture of Axenic Microcystis.- Preliminary Tests of Toxicity of Synechocystis sp. Grown on Wastewater Medium.- Chemical Nature and Mode of Action of a Toxin from Pandorina morum.- IV. Public Health and Toxic Cyanobacteria.- Water-Associated Human Illness in Northeast Pennsylvania and Its Suspected Association with Blue-green Algae Blooms.- Some Aspects Concerning Remote After-effects of Blue-green Algae Toxin Impact on Warm-blooded Animals.- Temporal Association between an Algal Bloom and Mutagenicity in a Water Reservoir.- Cyanobacteria and Endotoxins in Drinking Water Supplies.- Potential for Groundwater Contamination by Algal Endotoxins.- V. Isolation, Physiology, Toxicology and Detection of Cyanobacteria Toxins.- Toxicity Studies with Blue-green Algae from Norwegian Inland Waters.- Isolation, Characterization and Pathology of the Toxin from the Blue-green Alga Microcystis aeruginosa.- Toxicological Studies on Microcystis.- Effects of a Hepatic Toxin from the Cyanophyte Microcystis aeruginosa.- Studies on Aphantoxin from Aphanizomenon flos-aquae in New Hampshire.- Chemical Studies on Toxins from the Blue-green Alga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae.- Studies on the Fluorometric Determination of the Toxins of the Blue-green Alga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae.- A Fluorometric Technique for the Detection and Determination of Paralytic Shellfish Poisons.- Simplified Monitoring of Anatoxin-A by Reverse-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography and the Sub-acute Effects of Anatoxin-A in Rats.- Isolation and Characterization of Endotoxin from Cyanobacteria (Blue-green Algae).- Directory to the Literature on Toxic Cyanobacteria (Blue-green Algae).- List of Contributors.