Assessment of Advanced Oxidation Processes Using Zebrafish in a Non-Forced Exposure System: A Proof of Concept

Tamia Cabascango,Anuradha Ramoji,Karol Ortiz,Cristiano V M Araújo,C Miguel Pinto,Jürgen Popp,Isabel Espinoza Pavón,Florinella Muñoz-Bisesti,Christian Sandoval Pauker,José Luis Rivera-Parra,Jady Pérez,Paul Vargas Jentzsch,María Belén Aldás

doi:10.3390/pr9050734

Abstract

Water bodies and aquatic ecosystems are threatened by discharges of industrial waters. Ecotoxicological effects of components occurring in untreated and treated wastewaters are often not considered. The use of a linear, multi-compartmented, non-forced, static system constructed with PET bottles is proposed for the quality assessment of treated waters, to deal with such limitations. Two synthetic waters, one simulating wastewater from the textile industry and the other one simulating wastewater from the cassava starch industry, were prepared and treated by homogeneous Fenton process and heterogeneous photocatalysis, respectively. Untreated and treated synthetic waters and their dilutions were placed into compartments of the non-forced exposure system, in which zebrafish (Danio rerio), the indicator organism, could select the environment of its preference. Basic physical–chemical and chemical parameters of untreated and treated synthetic waters were measured. The preference and avoidance responses allowed verification of whether or not the quality of the water was improved due to the treatment. The results of these assays can be a complement to conventional parameters of water quality.

Highlights

The human population is growing every year and the obvious consequence is the rise in the global demand for food and goods, which leads to increasing pressure on water sources [1]
Two synthetic waters intended to simulate industrial wastewaters were treated by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs)
The synthetic water from the textile industry contained a dye, and this water was treated by a Fenton process

Summary

Introduction

The human population is growing every year and the obvious consequence is the rise in the global demand for food and goods, which leads to increasing pressure on water sources [1]. According to Mekonnen and Hoekstra [2], approximately 4.0 billion people are under conditions of severe water scarcity for at least 1 month per year; it is reasonable to assume that water scarcity could affect more people in subsequent years as the effects of climate change gradually become more significant. To this already intricate scenario, complications related to the systematic pollution of surface water bodies due to human activities must be added. Approaches focusing on the resulting water quality after the discharge must be prioritized

Methods

Results

Conclusion