Boron originating from produced water discharged to Brazilian coastal waters: Ecological risk assessment with marine organisms

Abstract

Deterministic and probabilistic ecological risk assessments were performed for the boron present in coastal waters in the region of the São Sebastião channel (coast of São Paulo State, Brazil) surrounding the outfall of the São Sebastião waterway terminal (TEBAR) and in reference areas far from the outfall. A set of ecotoxicity tests with 9 marine organisms (Lytechinus variegatus, Arbacia lixula, Skeletonema costatum, Asterionellopsis glacialis, Parablenius pilicornis, Artemia salina, Megabalanus coccopoma, Mysidopsis juniae and Hypnea musciformes) was performed in the laboratory. Ecotoxicity tests confirmed that boron presents low ecotoxicity, with Lytechinus variegatus being the most sensitive species studied, with an EC50 of 14.6 mg L−1 and a no-observed effect concentration (NOEC) of 6.75 mg L−1. According to the deterministic ecological risk assessment, no significant environmental impact is expected if we consider the most sensitive of the organisms tested and the highest concentration of boron found in the coastal waters (5.82 mg L−1).