Toxicity assessment of an effluent derived from an inactivated uranium mine: the Poços de Caldas (Brazil) example
Resumo
Uranium mines can cause environmental impact because of acid mine drainages can reaches the surrounding water bodies. In this work we tested effluent samples from an inactivated uranium mine located in Poços de Caldas city (Minas Gerais, Brazil) for acute and chronic toxicity. Untreated effluents were acutely toxic to Daphnia similis, with EC50 (48 h) varying from <0.01% to 38%. Both treated and untreated effluent samples presented chronic toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia. Vibrio fischeri acute toxicity tests were negative for all tested samples. Adjustment of pH performed in samples was not sufficient to remove acute toxicity indicating that not only pH was responsible for the observed effect. The physical-chemical treatment applied was not able to remove the chronic toxicity to C. dubia. V. fischeri, although a rapid test and easy to handle, was not sensitive to the level of toxicants present in the effluent from the mine. To determine the actual impact of the discharge of effluent into receiving waters, both the flow of the effluent and river should be considered. Nevertheless chronic toxicity tests with C. dubia could be included in the monitoring program of this facility to provide more information about the impact of this discharge.Downloads
Downloads
Publicado
Como Citar
Edição
Seção
Licença
Copyright © 2006 ECOTOX-BRAZIL
Copyright notice: It is a condition for publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not yet been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published of elsewhere. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that copyright for their article is transferred to the Sociedade Brasileira de Ecotoxicologia (ECOTOX-Brazil) if and when the article is accepted for publication. The copyright covers the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute articles, including reprints, photographic reproductions or any other reproduction of a similar nature, including translations. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the publisher.
Notice: While every effort is made by the JBSE, editors and editorial board to see that no inaccurate or misleading data, opinions or statements appear in this journal, they wish to make it clear that the contents of the articles and advertisements published herein are the sole responsibility of the contributors or advertisers concerned. Accordingly, the JBSE, the editorial board and editors and their respective employees, officers and agents accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the consequences of any inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or statement.
