When the density of the colonies of Microcystis and Nodularia cyanobacteria surpass a certain level, they produce hepatotoxic substances called microcystins and nodularins, respectively,2 while Anabaena and Apha-zinomenon are known to produce a neurotoxin called anatoxin. We describe a column-switching technique based on online preconcentration and high-resolution, full-scan Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ mass spectrometry to obtain fast and accurate results for the determination of algal toxins in drinking water.
