Use of TIE techniques to characterize industrial effluents in the Pearl River Delta region

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 76; no. 2; pp. 143 - 152
• Main Authors: Fang, Yi-Xiang, Ying, Guang-Guo, Zhang, Li-Juan, Zhao, Jian-Liang, Su, Hao-Chang, Yang, Bin, Liu, Shan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.02.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: acute toxicity; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Araceae - drug effects; Araceae - growth & development; Bacteria; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - growth & development; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Ceriodaphnia dubia; chemical analysis; Chlorophyta - drug effects; Chlorophyta - growth & development; Coloring Agents - toxicity; Danio rerio; Daphnia - drug effects; Daphnia - growth & development; dye plants; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effluents; Electronics; Environmental Monitoring - methods; fabrics; Factories; Fresh water ecosystems; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Industrial effluents; Industrial engineering; Industrial Waste - adverse effects; Industrial Waste - analysis; Lux bacteria; Manufacturing engineering; metals; Metals - toxicity; Plants; Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata; pulp and paper mills; rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Selenastrum capricornutum; Synecology; TIE; toxic substances; Toxicity; Toxicity Tests - methods; wastewater treatment; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Whole effluent toxicity; Industrial effluents; TIE; Lux bacteria; Whole effluent toxicity; Ecotoxicology; Pearl River; Toxicity; Freshwater environment; Pollution; Industrial waste water; Bacteria; Environment; Effluent
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2011.10.003

We investigated the acute toxicity of various industrial effluents in the Pearl River Delta region using lux bacteria, duckweed, green algae, crustaceans and zebrafish. The potential toxicants in the industrial effluents were identified and evaluated by lux bacteria bioassay and chemical analysis. The results show that green algae ( Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and crustacean ( Ceriodaphnia dubia) were more sensitive to the effluents from electronic and electroplate factories than other test species, while lux bacteria were more sensitive to all the other effluents. The toxicities of effluents from electronic and electroplate factories to the six test organisms were significantly higher than those of the other industrial effluents, and mainly caused by metals. Noticeably, organic pollutants were the main contributing factor to the toxicity of effluents from textile and dyeing plants, pulp and paper mills, fine chemical factories and municipal wastewater treatment plants. ► Acute toxicity of industrial effluents were investigated by a battery of bioassays. ► Potential toxicants in the effluents were identified by TIE with lux bacteria assay. ► Organics were the main toxicants in the industrial effluents. ► Metals were responsible for the toxicity in the effluents of IT industry.