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Abstract
Today, the occurrence of harmful cyanobacterial blooms is a common phenomenon and a potential global health problem. Cyanobacteria can produce metabolites highly toxic to humans. More than 80% of reservoirs used for water supply in Central Serbia have bloomed over the past 80 years. A 10-year epidemiological study showed a significant increase in the incidence of primary liver cancer (PLC) in the regions where water from the blooming reservoirs was used for human consumption. At the same time, no correlation was found between the incidence of PLC and other risk factors, such as cirrhosis and hepatitis viruses. Given the strong association with PLC induction and various known possible mechanisms of carcinogenic action, it is highly possible that, cyanotoxins—acting as initiator and promoter—may be the major risk factor that acts synergistically with other risk factors to cause increased incidence of PLC. However, at present, it is still not certain whether cyanotoxins alone were sufficient to induce PLC. Therefore, additional assessment of the health risks that may arise from human exposure to cyanotoxins is advisable.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the funding of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of the Serbian Government (project number: 176020) and COST Action ES1105 “CYANOCOST—Cyanobacterial blooms and toxins in water resources: Occurrence, impacts and management” for adding value to this study through networking and knowledge sharing with European experts in the field.