Ecotoxicity of Biocides (Chemical Disinfectants) - Lethal and Sublethal Effects on Non-target Organisms

Stefania Gheorghe,Catalina Stoica,Alina Banciu,Mihai Nita Lazar,Irina Lucaciu

doi:10.37358/rc.19.1.6906

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to assess de ecotoxicity effects of four biocides, used as chemical disinfectants for swimming pool water treatment, on non-target organisms such as Daphnia magna and Heterocypris incongruens crustaceans. The tests showed a significant difference of sensitivity between species. The biocides, at the recommended disinfection doses, induced a very toxic or toxic effect on Daphnia magna, based on their mortality percentage. On the contrary, the observed ostracods lethal effects were generally less than 50% mortality and no significant growth inhibitions were observed. Overall, the ostracods had a higher tolerance to subacute doses, including disinfection doses of 20 mg/L (potassium mono persulfate), 5 mg/L (sodium dichloroisocyanurate), 8 mg/L (trichloroisocyanuric acid 90%) and 7 mg/L (trichloroisocyanuric acid 87-88%). In the context of a continuous biocides market expansion, the paper highlighted that our research proposed testing methods to obtain fast and accurate ecotoxicity data for a sustainable biocide production / authorization and also for an environmental hazard assessment.

Highlights

The aim of this paper was to assess de ecotoxicity effects of four biocides, used as chemical disinfectants for swimming pool water treatment, on non-target organisms such as Daphnia magna and Heterocypris incongruens crustaceans
During the first 24h of biocide intoxication the neonates of planktonic crustaceans, Daphnia magna, showed an increased acute sensitivity expressed by percentages of immobilization / mortality
Biocides toxicity was analyzed on two crustacean species (Daphnia magna and Heterocypris incongruens) from pelagic and benthic compartments of the aquatic ecosystem

Summary

Introduction

The aim of this paper was to assess de ecotoxicity effects of four biocides, used as chemical disinfectants for swimming pool water treatment, on non-target organisms such as Daphnia magna and Heterocypris incongruens crustaceans. Biocides have been designed for specific targets, so they have been classified in function of their specificity in: pesticides (such as fungicides, insecticides, algaecides, molluscicides, miticides and rodenticides) and antimicrobial (such as bactericides, antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antiprotozoals, germicides, antiparazites, spermicides) [1]. Their uncontrolled use and an inefficient wastewater treatment (due to the fact that the wastewater treatment plants have not been designed to remove those chemical compounds) made possible a high occurrence of biocides in freshwaters. Is known that benthic invertebrates are more susceptible to dissolved and undissolved pollutants than pelagic biota, and may serve as an environmental imbalance long term marker [17-20]

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