Assessment of the abiotic and biotic effects of sodium metabisulphite pulses discharged from desalination plant chemical treatments on seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) habitats in the Canary Islands.
Reverse osmosis membranes at many desalination plants are disinfected by periodic shock treatments with sodium metabisulphite, which have potentially toxic effects to the environment for marine life, although no empirical and experimental evidence for this is yet available. The aim of this study was to characterise for the first time, the physico-chemical modification of the marine environment and its biological effects, caused by hypersaline plumes during these membrane cleaning treatments. The case study was the Maspalomas II desalination plant, located in the south of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). Toxicity bioassays were performed on marine species characteristic for the infralittoral soft bottoms influenced by the brine plume (Synodus synodus and Cymodocea nodosa), and revealed a high sensitivity to short-term exposure to low sodium metabisulphite concentrations. The corrective measure of incorporating a diffusion system with Venturi Eductors reduced nearly all the areas of influence, virtually eliminating the impact of the disinfectant.
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, S.A. (Canary Islands Technological Institute) Playa de Pozo Izquierdo s/n, 35110 Santa Lucía, Las Palmas, Spain. Electronic address: eportillo@itccanarias.org.
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Portillo
ECOS, Estudios Ambientales y Oceanografía, S.L., C/Alfred Nobel 31B, 35013 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Electronic address: mruiz@ecoscanarias.com.
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Ruiz de la Rosa
ECOS, Estudios Ambientales y Oceanografía, S.L., C/Alfred Nobel 31B, 35013 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
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Louzara
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, C/Varadero, 1, 30740 Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: juanm.ruiz@mu.ieo.es.
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JM
Ruiz
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, C/Varadero, 1, 30740 Murcia, Spain.
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Marín-Guirao
Canaragua, S.A. Avda. Manuel Hermoso Rojas, 4, 38003 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Electronic address: jquesada@aqualogy.net.
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Quesada
Elmasa Tecnología del Agua, S.A., Av. de Tirajana no 39, Edificio Mercurio Torre 2, Sexta Planta, 35100 San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Spain. Electronic address: jcgonzalez@elmasa.es.
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JC
González
Elmasa Tecnología del Agua, S.A., Av. de Tirajana no 39, Edificio Mercurio Torre 2, Sexta Planta, 35100 San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Las Palmas, Spain. Electronic address: froque@elmasa.es.
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Roque
Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas, Ctra. de Taliarte, s/n, 35200 Telde, Las Palmas, Spain. Electronic address: ngonzalez@iccm.rcanaria.es.
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N
González
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias, S.A. (Canary Islands Technological Institute) Playa de Pozo Izquierdo s/n, 35110 Santa Lucía, Las Palmas, Spain. Electronic address: hmendoza@itccanarias.org.
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Mendoza
D035961:Alismatales / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D054712:Salinity; D012492:Salts / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D013030:Spain; D013447:Sulfites / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
D012492:Salts; D013447:Sulfites; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C017082:brine; C005200:sodium metabisulfite
Canary Islands; Cymodocea nodosa; Desalination; Discharge; Sodium metabisulphite; Synodus synodus