Accumulation of hepatotoxic cyanobacterial toxins, like microcystin-LR (MC-LR), in edible crops through irrigation with contaminated water can result in human health risks. To assess the accumulation and depuration potential of MC-LR in basil under an optimized laboratory condition and to quantify its natural occurrence in basil samples collected from different markets in Belgium. Basil plants in hydroculture were exposed to 5, 10 or 50 µg L-1 MC-LR for 7 days. The depuration process was assessed by transferring plants to uncontaminated Hoagland solution  for another 7 days. More…