Abstract
The toxicity of pure phenol, formaldehyde, and industrial wastewater, containing phenol and formaldehyde, from a resin production plant was evaluated using aquatic organisms from different taxonomic groups. Test organisms included mixed bacterial culture, unicellular green algaeScenedesmus quadricauda (Turp.) Breb., crustaceaDaphnia pulex de Geer (daphnids), and fishOncorhynchus mykiss Call, 1990 (rainbow trout).
Formaldehyde was found to be more toxic to the mixed bacterial culture (120h EC50 = 34.1 mg L−1), algae (24h EC50 = 14.7 mg L−1), and crustacea (48h EC50 = 5.8 mg L−1) than phenol. Phenol proved to be more toxic to fish (48h LC50 = 13.1 mg L−1) than to the mixed bacterial culture (120h EC50 = 510 mg L−1), algae (24h EC50 = 403 mg L−1), and crustacea (48h EC50 = 25 mg L−1). The toxicity of the industrial wastewater to the mixed bacterial culture, algae, and crustacea was caused mainly by formaldehyde, but for fish the presence of phenol in the wastewater proved to be the significant reason for toxicity. Differences in sensitivity of the selected test organisms were also observed, with fish and crustacea being the most sensitive species.
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Tišler, T., Zagorc-Končan, J. Comparative assessment of toxicity of phenol, formaldehyde, and industrial wastewater to aquatic organisms. Water Air Soil Pollut 97, 315–322 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02407469
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02407469