scholarly journals Assessing toxicity of mining effluents: equilibrium- and kinetics-based metal speciation and algal bioassay

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamini Gopalapillai ◽  
Chuni L. Chakrabarti ◽  
David R. S. Lean
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Toxic Metals ◽  
Metal Speciation ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Pseudokirchneriella Subcapitata ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Test Substance ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Equilibrium And Kinetics ◽  
Free Metal

Environmental context. The release of mining effluents exposes natural waters to excess metals and thereby threatens both human and environmental health. The present study explores the toxicity of aqueous mining effluents collected from a mining area in Sudbury (Ontario, Canada), using two different methods for determination of metal speciation, and an algal toxicity study. The results show reasonable correlation between metal speciation and the observed toxicity and suggest the importance of taking into account other factors related to water quality criteria such as nutrient concentrations, diluent water and presence of other toxic metals that can greatly influence the toxicological result. Abstract. The present study explores the toxicity of aqueous mining and municipal effluents from the Sudbury area (Canada) using equilibrium- and kinetics-based estimates of metal speciation and chronic toxicity studies using algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata). Free metal ion concentration was determined by the Ion Exchange Technique (IET) and a computer speciation code, Windermere Humic Aqueous Model (WHAM) VI. Labile metal concentration was determined using the Competing Ligand Exchange Method. In general, no correlation was found between the observed IC25 (concentration of test substance that inhibits growth of organism by 25%) and the [Ni]labile, [Ni2+]IET or [Ni2+]WHAM, probably because of contributions by other metals such as Cu and Zn being also significant. Reasonable correlation (r2 = 0.7575) was found when the observed toxicity was compared with the sum of free metal ions of Cu, Ni, and Zn predicted by WHAM. The results of the present study reveal the importance of taking into account other factors related to water quality criteria such as nutrient concentrations, diluent water, and the presence of other toxic metals, which greatly influence the toxicological result in complex, multi-metal contaminated waters.

Water quality criteria for the protection of human health of 15 toxic metals and their human risk in surface water, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 276 ◽  
pp. 116628
Author(s):  
Xiaonan Wang ◽  
Liang Cui ◽  
Ji Li ◽  
Cong Zhang ◽  
Xiangyun Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Toxic Metals ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Human Risk

Volume Analysis for Attainability of Water Quality Criteria for Three Loading Constituents

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Wang ◽  
Lewis Linker ◽  
James Collier ◽  
Gary Shenk ◽  
Robert Koroncai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Volume Analysis

Developing Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Mercury: A Probabilistic Site-Specific Approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (0) ◽  
pp. 9781780404028-9781780404028
Author(s):  
D. R. J. Moore ◽  
A. Pawlisz ◽  
R. Scott Teed
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Ambient Water ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Specific Approach

scholarly journals Geochemical and biological controls on the ecological relevance of total, dissolved, and colloidal forms of trace elements in large boreal rivers: review and case studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-163
Author(s):  
C.W. Cuss ◽  
C.N. Glover ◽  
M.B. Javed ◽  
A. Nagel ◽  
W. Shotyk
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Trace Elements ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Boreal Rivers

The concentrations of trace elements (TEs) in large boreal rivers can fluctuate markedly due to changing water levels and flow rates associated with spring melt and variable contributions from tributaries and groundwaters, themselves having different compositions. These fluctuating and frequently high concentrations create regulatory challenges for protecting aquatic life. For example, water quality criteria do not account for changes in flow regimes that can result in TE levels that may exceed regulatory limits, and neither do they account for the markedly different lability and bioaccessibility of suspended solids. This review addresses the geochemical and biological processes that govern the lability and bioaccessibility of TEs in boreal rivers, with an emphasis on the challenges posed by the colloidal behaviour of many TEs, and their relationship to the dissolved fraction (i.e., <0.45 μm in size). After reviewing the processes and dynamics that give rise to the forms and behaviour of TEs in large boreal rivers, their relevance for aquatic organisms and the associated relationships between size and lability and bioaccessibility are discussed. The importance of biological variables and different forms of TEs for limiting lability and bioaccessibility are also addressed. Two case studies emphasize seasonal fluctuations and accompanying changes in the distribution of TE amongst different size fractions and associated colloidal species in large boreal rivers: the Northern Dvina and one of its tributaries, the Pinega River, both in Russia, and the Athabasca River in Alberta, Canada. Water quality in the Athabasca River is briefly discussed with respect to Canadian guidelines.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document