Effects of pH and natural humic substances on the accumulation of organic pollutants in two freshwater invertebrates

Abstract

The present study focused on the accumulation of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane), pentachlorophenol (PCP) and dehydroabietic acid (DHAA), from a natural humic water (DOC 18 mg/l) and a humus-free reference water, in Daphnia magna (Cladocera) and nymphs of the mayfly Heptagenia fuscogrisea (Ephemeroptera). Effects of water pH ranging from 3.5 to 8.5 was examined. The partition coefficients (Kp) of BaP and PCP to organic material were measured by equilibrium dialysis, and in both cases increases in Kp values were noticed with decreasing pH. For neutral compounds (BaP and lindane), the bioconcentration factor (BCF) was the highest at pH 6.5 in the control water. Humic substances significantly lowered the accumulation of BaP, but had no effect on the accumulation of lindane. The lowest test pH gave the highest BCF value, and increasing pH decreased the BCF values of weak organic acids (PCP and DHAA) in the control experiments. This was because the unionized forms of these compounds accumulate better than the more hydrophilic ionized forms. The presence of dissolved organic substances lowered the accumulation of PCP in H. fuscogrisea between pH 4.5 and 7.5 and had no effect at pHs 3.5 and 8.5. Humic substances lowered the accumulation of DHAA in D. magna between pH 5.5 and 6.5 and had no effect when pH was over 7. In experiments with H. fuscogrisea humic substances had no effect on the accumulation of DHAA.