Objective To investigate microcystin contamination in water bodies that feed the water supply system of Fusui County, which shows a high incidence of liver cancer in Guangxi Province. Method Water sources in 11 villages and tapwater in 28 villages were sampled. Temperature and pH were recorded during sampling,and microcystin was assayed using ELISA. Result Source water and tapwater did not differ significantly in temperature or pH. Average microcystin concentration was(15.64±2.08) ng/L in source water,and(14.42±2.28) ng/L in tapwater. These values were not significantly different. Microcystin concentration in source water varied with the trend: river>subterranean river>well water. Microcystin concentration in tapwater varied with the trend: reservoir water>well river>subterranean river>river water. However, these trends were not statistically significant. The concentration of microcystin was 16.69 ng/L in river water, which was the highest concentration of all water sources tested. Average microcystin concentration was(13.90±2.62) ng/L in treated tapwater and(14.71±2.09) ng/L in untreated tapwater. These values were not significantly different. Conclusion Microcystin concentration did not exceed the WHO-recommended limit of 0.001 mg/L in any sample tested.

 

 

 

Liver neoplasms, Microcystin, Drinking water, Survey