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Bioassays and biochemical biomarkers for assessing olive mill and citrus processing wastewater toxicity
Author(s) -
Karaouzas Ioannis,
Cotou Efthimia,
Albanis Triantafyllos A.,
Kamarianos Athanasios,
Skoulikidis Nikolaos T.,
Giannakou Urania
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
environmental toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1522-7278
pISSN - 1520-4081
DOI - 10.1002/tox.20606
Subject(s) - wastewater , bioassay , gammarus pulex , pulex , effluent , toxicity , acute toxicity , biology , chemistry , environmental chemistry , environmental science , environmental engineering , ecology , amphipoda , daphnia , organic chemistry , crustacean
The toxicity and the biochemical effects of olive mill wastewater and citrus processing wastewater were evaluated using acute toxicity bioassays ( Gammarus pulex and Hydropsyche peristerica ) and biochemical biomarkers (acetylcholinesterase [AChE] and glutathione S‐transferase [GST]). The bioassays indicated toxic properties of olive mill and citrus processing wastewaters. The 24 h LC 50 values of olive mill wastewater ranged from 2.64% to 3.36% for G. pulex and 3.62% to 3.88% for H. peristerica , while the LC 50 of citrus processing wastewater was 25.26% for G. pulex and 17.16% for H. peristerica . Based on a five‐class hazard classification system applied for wastewaters discharged into the aquatic environment, olive mill wastewater and citrus processing wastewater were classified as highly toxic and toxic, respectively. Results of the biochemical biomarkers showed that both agroindustrial effluents at increasing sublethal wastewater concentrations could cause inhibition of the AChE and induction of the GST activities. These first results showed that both species as well as their AChE and GST activities have the potential to be used as indicators and biomarkers for assessing olive mill and citrus processing wastewaters quality. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2011.