title: Ecotoxicological study of Lithuanian and Estonian wastewaters: selection of the biotests, and correspondence between toxicity and chemical-based indices.
abstract: The toxicity of industrial and urban wastewater (WW) samples collected in Lithuania and Estonia was evaluated by using a suite of biological tests comprising the Algaltoxkit F with Selenastrum capricornutum, the Charatox with Nitellopsis obtusa, Daphtoxkit F with Daphnia magna, Thamnotoxkit F with Thamnocephalus platyurus, Protoxkit F with Tetrahymena thermophila and the Microtox with Vibrio fischeri. The Charatox and Thamnotoxkit F tests showed highest relative sensitivity, responding to 80-90% of samples, respectively, and both expressed good discrimination capacity between samples. Principal Component and pairwise correlation analysis allowed to select test-battery consisting of Charatox, Thamnotoxkit and Microtox. The WW toxicity was evaluated by means of cumulative indices such as average toxicity (AvTx) and two indices derived from the PEEP-index (Environ. Toxicol. Water Qual. 8 (1993) 115). In addition to these integrated evaluations of test-battery response, WW toxicity was evaluated according to the most sensitive test (MST) in the battery. The linear regression analysis between cumulative toxicity indices and chemical-based indices (derived from comparison of WW chemical concentrations and their respective maximum allowable concentration) revealed positive linear relationships (r(2)=0.7-0.8), while toxicity evaluation based on the MST was less positively related with chemical analysis data (r(2)=0.5-0.6). Although better coincidence between the toxicity and chemical-based assessments was achieved when information from all tests in the battery was assembled, the prediction of toxicity from chemical data was still limited. In search of suitable test-battery for the screening of certain type of WWs, a preliminary study comprising excessive suite of tests might be useful.
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Toxicology Unit, Institute of Botany, Z. Ezeru 49, 2021 Vilnius, Lithuania. levonas@botanika.lt
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manusadzianas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balkelyte
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sadauskas
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blinova
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Põllumaa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kahru
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D033202:Anostraca / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D003445:Crustacea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004957:Estonia; D008097:Lithuania; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016808:Tetrahymena thermophila / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014733:Vibrio / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical