Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning is a potentially fatal syndrome, resulting from the filter-feeding activities of marine molluscs accumulating harmful neurotoxins naturally occurring in microalgae. Outbreaks are well recognised throughout most regions of the world, but with the highest levels of toxicity to date recorded in mussels from Argentina. Whilst toxicity has been documented for selected outbreaks over the years, testing has been conducted using a mouse bioassay. Consequently there is a need to establish baseline data utilising modern chemical detection methods, which also facilitate the quantification of individual toxin analogues, giving useful data on toxin profiles as well as total sample toxicity. In this study, 151 shellfish samples harvested from the marine waters of Argentina between 1980 and 2012 were subjected to analysis by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, since Jan 2019 the European Union reference method for PSP determination. Total PST concentrations were found to vary enormously throughout the coastline of Argentina, with higher levels of toxins found in the central regions of Rio Negro and Chubut. Toxin profiles in terms of molar percentage of total concentrations were dominated by the gonyautoxins GTX1&4 and GTX2&3, followed by C1&2, STX and dcGTX2&3, with minor levels of other analogues previously not reported in the country. Profiles were found to vary significantly, with statistical clusters of profile types associated with a wide range of factors, including species, spatial and temporal differences, as well as likely source microalgae species and potential toxin transformation pathways. Overall application of the chemical detection method has confirmed both the significant risk to shellfish consumers in Argentina with periodic outbreaks of extremely high toxin levels and a large variability in toxin profiles relating in part to previously reported variabilities in microalgal toxin content. The study has demonstrated the potential for the method to systematically study the relationships between toxicity, toxin profile, source phytoplankton and other environmental factors.

麻痹性贝类中毒是一种潜在的致命综合症，是由于海洋软体动物的滤食性活动积累了微藻中天然存在的有害神经毒素而导致的。暴发在世界上大多数地区都广为人知，但迄今为止，阿根廷贻贝的毒性最高。尽管多年来已记录了某些暴发的毒性，但已使用小鼠生物测定法进行了测试。因此，需要利用现代化学检测方法来建立基线数据，这也有助于定量单个毒素类似物，从而提供有关毒素谱以及总样品毒性的有用数据。在这个研究中，自1980年1月起采用欧盟用于PSP测定的参考方法，对1980年至2012年之间从阿根廷海洋水域采集的151种贝类样品进行了液相色谱-荧光检测分析。在整个阿根廷海岸线上，PST的总浓度差异很大，在里约内格罗和丘布特的中部地区发现的毒素水平更高。就总浓度的摩尔百分数而言，毒素谱主要由淋菌毒素GTX1＆4和GTX2＆3主导，其次是C1＆2，STX和dcGTX2＆3，该国以前没有报道过少量其他类似物。研究人员发现，档案资料存在显着差异，其中，档案资料类型的统计类集与多种因素（包括物种，时空差异，以及可能的来源微藻物种和潜在的毒素转化途径。化学检测方法的整体应用已证实，阿根廷的贝类消费者面临着巨大风险，即周期性爆发极高的毒素水平，而且毒素谱图的变化很大，部分与先前报道的微藻毒素含量变化有关。这项研究表明该方法有可能系统地研究毒性，毒素谱，浮游植物来源和其他环境因素之间的关系。化学检测方法的整体应用已证实，阿根廷的贝类消费者面临着巨大风险，即周期性爆发极高的毒素水平，而且毒素谱图的变化很大，部分与先前报道的微藻毒素含量变化有关。这项研究表明该方法有可能系统地研究毒性，毒素谱，浮游植物来源和其他环境因素之间的关系。化学检测方法的整体应用已证实，阿根廷的贝类消费者面临着巨大风险，即周期性爆发极高的毒素水平，而且毒素谱图的变化很大，部分与先前报道的微藻毒素含量变化有关。这项研究表明该方法有可能系统地研究毒性，毒素谱，浮游植物来源和其他环境因素之间的关系。