The aquatic impact of ionic liquids on freshwater organisms

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Susana P F Costa (Author) Other; Paula C A G Pinto (Author) Other; Lucia L M F S Saraiva (Author) FFUP; Fabio R P Rocha (Author) Other; Joyce R P Santos (Author) Other; Regina T R Monteiro (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Chemosphere

Vol. 139

Pages: 288-294

ISSN: 0045-6535

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 23 Citations

Scopus - 39 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Earth and related Environmental sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00G-PDV

DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.05.100

Abstract (EN): Ionic liquids (ILs), also known as liquid electrolytes, are powerful solvents with a wide variety of academic and industrial applications. Bioassays with aquatic organisms constitute an effective tool for the evaluation of ILs' toxicity, as well as for the prediction and identification of possible moieties that act as toxicophores. In this work, the acute toxicity of six ILs and two commonly used organic solvents was evaluated using freshwater organisms: Daphnia magna, Raphidocelis subcapitata and Hydra attenuata. The bioassays were performed by exposing the organisms to increasing concentrations of the ILs and observing D. magna immobilization, R. subcapitata growth inhibition, and the morphological or mortality effects in H. attenuata. The results demonstrate that the tested organisms are not equally susceptible to the ILs, e.g., bmpyr [BF4] was the least toxic compound for R. subcapitata, N-1,N-1 [N-1,N-1,N-1OOH] for D. magna and emim [Tf2N] for H. attenuata. This highlights the importance of applying a battery of assays in toxicological analysis. Additionally, Hydra proved to be the most tolerant species to the tested ILs. According to their hazard rankings, the tested ILs are considered practically harmless or moderately toxic, except (Hex)(3)(TDec)P [Cl], which was classified as highly toxic. The ILs were revealed to be more harmful to aquatic systems than the tested organic solvents, reaffirming the need to analyze carefully the (eco)toxicological impact of these compounds. The present study provides additional data in the evaluation of the potential hazard and the impact of ILs in the environment.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7