Detection of microcystin-LR in lagoon-treated water by abraxis strip test

Samples of lagoon-treated water from Western Treatment Plant and a range of different water matrices were spiked with microcystin-LR (mLR) and analysed via the Abraxis strip test and high performance chromatography (HPLC). The test strips gave a reliable indication of the concentration of mLR in all the water matrices, which had different organic component composition and concentrations, and different inorganic content. There was good correlation between the results with the test strips and the HPLC method. Interpolation of concentrations for which there were no reference scales was subjective and tended to result in overestimations, ie., conservatively high results.