Effects of alumina refinery wastewater and signature metal constituents at the upper thermal tolerance of: 1. The tropical diatom Nitzschia closterium

Harford, A.J.; Hogan, A.C.; Tsang, J.J.; Parry, D.L.; Negri, A.P.; Adams, M.S.; Stauber, J.L.; van Dam, R.A.

Effects of alumina refinery wastewater and signature metal constituents at the upper thermal tolerance of: 1. The tropical diatom Nitzschia closterium

2011

Ecotoxicological studies, using the tropical marine diatom, Nitzschia closterium (72-h growth rate), were undertaken to assess potential issues relating to the discharge from an alumina refinery in northern Australia. The studies assessed: (i) the species’ upper thermal tolerance; (ii) the effects of three signature metals, aluminium (Al), vanadium (V) and gallium (Ga) (at 32°C); and (iii) the effects of wastewater (at 27 and 32°C). The critical thermal maximum and median inhibition temperature for N. closterium were 32.7°C and 33.1°C, respectively. Single metal toxicity tests found that N. closterium was more sensitive to Al compared to Ga and V, with IC₅₀s (95% confidence limits) of 190 (140–280), 19,640 (11,600–25,200) and 42,000 (32,770–56,000)μgL⁻¹, respectively. The undiluted wastewater samples were of low toxicity to N. closterium (IC₅₀s>100% wastewater). Environmental chemistry data suggested that the key metals and discharge are a very low risk to this species.

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