The appearance A.ovalisporum in Lake Kinneret, which serves as a primary
water supply source for Israel, is a cause for serious concern. Recently, Banker et
al. (1997) showed that A.ovalisporum could synthesize a hepatotoxin which was
identified as cylindrospermopsin, previously isolated from Cylindrospermopsis
raciborskii (Wolozynska). Fortunately, even at the peak of the 1994 bloom, the
standing stock biomass of A.ovalisporum which accumulated was still low relative
to that reported in situations where blue-green algal toxicity has occurred
(Resson et al, 1994). Routine treatment of the National Water Carrier supply
system with alum precipitation was sufficient to remove A.ovalisporum filaments
completely (Sukenik et al, 1998).