Toxicity assessment of a complex industrial wastewater using aquatic and terrestrial bioassays Daphnia pulex and Lactuca sativa.
Aquatic and terrestrial bioassays were used to assess toxicity at several stages in an industrial wastewater treatment plant that processes 400 L/s from a complex influent formed by wastewater from 135 industries. Daphnia pulex and Lactuca sativa were used to assess and compare toxicity between the influent wastewater and effluent wastewater from an activated sludge process, and compare their relationship with physicochemical parameters of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD); Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD); Total Suspended Solids (TSS); total Nitrogen (N (N-total)), and ammonia Nitrogen (N (N - NH3)). Samples from the primary clarifiers (PC), mix liquor stage (ML) and secondary clarifiers (SC) were processed using physicochemical and bioassay test. Toxicity results with Daphnia pulex showed decreased mean values of acute Toxic Units (a.T.U.) between PC (2.1 a.T.U.) and SC (1,25 a.T.U.). Lactuca sativa showed high values of toxicity between PC and SC (3.37 and 3.32 a.T.U. respectively). Some samples exhibited higher toxicity values at the effluent stage (SC) than the influent stage (PC). The highest correlations of physicochemical properties with toxicity were obtained with COD and nitrogen compounds in effluent samples (SC), but not with influent samples (PC).
Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, Mexico. juancsm@avantel.net
Juan Carlos
JC
Sánchez-Meza
Víctor Francisco
VF
Pacheco-Salazar
Thelma Beatriz
TB
Pavón-Silva
Víctor Guadalupe
VG
Guiérrez-García
Clemente De Jesús
Cde J
Avila-González
Patricia
P
Guerrero-García
D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018545:Lactuca / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D008800:Mexico; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D045483:Rivers; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen