Ecotoxicological effects assessment of brine discharge from desalination reverse osmosis plant in Algeria (South Western Mediterranean)

Abstract

The aim of our study is to assess the effect of Bousfer desalination plant brine discharged on the Algerian west coast in the winter period (February, 2016), during which the production is reduced to 2500 m3/day and the temporary stoppages for maintenance operations are also observed. In this study, sublethal and chronic effects on a marine gastropod mollusc Patella rustica exposed to these brine discharges were determined. For this, biomarkers of defenses and damage have been measured in the tissues of this species. The sampling of P. rustica limpets and physico-chemical analysis of the brine and surface coastal waters were made at four sites (H, W, E and R). This ecotoxicological biomonitoring confirmed the negative impact of brine discharges of the desalination plant in this cold period. Indeed, we have recorded that the limpets collected from site H were more affected by all the environmental disturbances than ones from the other sites. The responses of the antioxidant defense and biotransformation enzymes reached the highest levels in population of site H. This oxidative stress is also accompanied by genotoxic effect revealed by ADN and lipid damages. Our ecotoxicological diagnosis demonstrated the harmful effect of Bousfer desalination plant’s discharges in winter, despite the fact that during this period the production is reduced and the plant even observes temporary stoppages for maintenance and cleaning operations.