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Assessment of the potential toxicity of a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) to freshwater animal life by means of cladoceran bioassays

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Abstract

The acute and chronic toxic effects of LAS on the cladocerans Daphnia similis, Ceriodaphnia dubia and Ceriodaphnia silvestrii were tested. Both types of toxicity bioassays and the methods of culture and stock maintenance of the test organisms conformed to the recommendations of ABNT (Brazilian Society of Technical Standards), which closely follow the standard methods of USEPA. The results obtained for EC50 (48 h) were: 14.17 mg L−1 for D. similis, 11.84 mg L−1 for C. dubia and 13.52 mg L−1 for C. silvestrii. In the chronic toxicity tests performed on C. dubia and C. silvestrii, there was a significant decrease in the fecundity of the exposed animals; the value of NOEC for C. dubia and C. silvestrii were 1.00 mg L−1 and 2.50 mg L−1, respectively. Cladoceran bioassays provided evidence that LAS concentration as low as 1.00 mg L−1 can damage invertebrate animal life in freshwaters, concentrations that can be found in many eutrophic rivers and reservoirs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the Master’s scholarship awarded by CAPES (Brazilian Grant Financial Agency).

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  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, Km 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Katiuscia da Silva Coelho & Odete Rocha

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  1. Katiuscia da Silva Coelho
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  2. Odete Rocha
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Correspondence to Katiuscia da Silva Coelho.

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da Silva Coelho, K., Rocha, O. Assessment of the potential toxicity of a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) to freshwater animal life by means of cladoceran bioassays. Ecotoxicology 19, 812–818 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0458-3

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