Abstract
The occurrence of outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) along the New England Coase has generated research to develop a rapid, sensitive method for determining the toxin content in clams, Mya arenaria, and in mussels, Mytilus edulis. The oxidation of saxitoxin (STX) with alkaline hydrogen peroxide followed by acidification produced a solution fluorophor with an excitation of 332 nm and an emission of 331 nm. Measurement of the fluorescent intensity of the STX fluorophor is used to quantitate as little as 0.005 to 0.01 µg STX. Application of this solution-fluorometric procedure to samples of M. arenaria and M. edulis has enabled quantitation of toxin contents (as STX) that have corresponded with the mouse bioassay. In addition, levels of toxicity less than the lower limit of the bioassay, 40 µg STX per 100 g shellfish meat, are detectable by this tube assay.
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© 1981 Plenum Press, New York
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Shoptaugh, N.H., Ikawa, M., Foxall, T.L., Sasner, J.J. (1981). A Fluorometric Technique for the Detection and Determination of Paralytic Shellfish Poisons. In: Carmichael, W.W. (eds) The Water Environment. Environmental Science Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3267-1_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3267-1_30
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