Document Detail


Evaluation of ionic contribution to the toxicity of a coal-mine effluent using Ceriodaphnia dubia.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16001150     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has defined national in-stream water-quality criteria (WQC) for 157 pollutants. No WQC to protect aquatic life exist for total dissolved solids (TDS). Some water-treatment processes (e.g., pH modifications) discharge wastewaters of potentially adverse TDS into freshwater systems. Strong correlations between specific conductivity, a TDS surrogate, and several biotic indices in a previous study suggested that TDS caused by a coal-mine effluent was the primary stressor. Further acute and chronic testing in the current study with Ceriodaphnia dubia in laboratory-manipulated media indicated that the majority of the effluent toxicity could be attributed to the most abundant ions in the discharge, sodium (1952 mg/L) and/or sulfate (3672 mg/L), although the hardness of the effluent (792 +/- 43 mg/L as CaCO3) ameliorated some toxicity. Based on laboratory testing of several effluent-mimicking media, sodium- and sulfate-dominated TDS was acutely toxic at approximately 7000 microS/cm (5143 mg TDS/L), and chronic toxicity occurred at approximately 3200 microS/cm (2331 mg TDS/L). At a lower hardness (88 mg/L as CaCO3), acute and chronic toxicity end-points were decreased to approximately 5000 microS/cm (3663 mg TDS/L) and approximately 2000 microS/cm (1443 mg TDS/L), respectively. Point-source discharges causing in-stream TDS concentrations to exceed these levels may risk impairment to aquatic life.
Authors:
A J Kennedy; D S Cherry; C E Zipper
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2005-07-06
Journal Detail:
Title:  Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology     Volume:  49     ISSN:  0090-4341     ISO Abbreviation:  Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.     Publication Date:  2005 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-09-15     Completed Date:  2005-10-20     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0357245     Medline TA:  Arch Environ Contam Toxicol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  155-62     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA. alan.j.kennedy@erdc.us-ace.army.mil
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Chlorine / toxicity
Coal Mining*
Daphnia / drug effects*,  growth & development
Fresh Water / chemistry*
Ions / toxicity*
Sodium / toxicity
Solutions
Sulfates / toxicity
Toxicity Tests / methods*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / toxicity*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Ions; 0/Solutions; 0/Sulfates; 0/Water Pollutants, Chemical; 7440-23-5/Sodium; 7782-50-5/Chlorine

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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