Phytotoxicity of effluents from swine slaughterhouses using lettuce and cucumber seeds as bioindicators.
This study evaluated the phytotoxic effects of raw and treated effluents from a swine slaughterhouse on cucumber and lettuce seeds and determined correlations among physicochemical characteristics of such effluents and the germination of seeds used as bioindicators. Physicochemical parameters were characterized for both effluents and their phytotoxicity was determined through the germination index (GI), the root length (RL) and the number of germinated seeds (SG) for both plant species. The effluents treatment system was efficient to reduce the concentration of some physicochemical parameters to levels within those recommended by the Brazilian legislation, except for P, ammoniacal N and TKN concentration. Although phytotoxicity of the treated effluent was less in comparison to the raw effluent, the GI for cucumber and lettuce seeds submitted to each of the tested effluents was lower than 80%. Thus, both effluents were phytotoxic for the tested bioindicators (p<0.05). For lettuce seeds, the GI presented negative correlations (p<0.05) with the total Kjeldahl N (-0.93) and the surfactants concentration (-0.83) in the raw effluent. The Zn concentration in the treated effluent showed a negative correlation (p<0.05) with the GI of both lettuce (-0.63) and cucumber seeds (-0.64). Therefore, effluents from swine slaughterhouses may impair the germination of the evaluated plant species if used for agricultural purposes.
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sul-rio-grandense, Pelotas, RS, Brazil; PPGCTA, Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil. Electronic address: michel@pelotas.ifsul.edu.br.
Michel David
MD
Gerber
ReproPel, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
Thomaz
T
Lucia
Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Centro de Engenharias, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
Luciara
L
Correa
PPGCTA, Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
José Eduardo Pereira
JEP
Neto
Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Centro de Engenharias, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil; PPGCTA, Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
Érico Kunde
ÉK
Correa
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000187:drug effects; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000009:adverse effects; D018545:Lactuca / Q000187:drug effects; D008372:Manure; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects*; D013552:Swine; D014866:Waste Products / Q000009:adverse effects*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D008372:Manure; D014866:Waste Products
Fertigation; Germination; Seeds; Slaughterhouse; Toxicity; Wastewater reuse