Use of TIE techniques to characterize industrial effluents in the Pearl River Delta region

We investigated the acute toxicity of various industrial effluents in the Pearl River Delta region using lux bacteria, duckweed, green algae, crustaceans and zebrafish. The potential toxicants in the industrial effluents were identified and evaluated by lux bacteria bioassay and chemical analysis. The results show that green algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and crustacean (Ceriodaphnia dubia) were more sensitive to the effluents from electronic and electroplate factories than other test species, while lux bacteria were more sensitive to all the other effluents. The toxicities of effluents from electronic and electroplate factories to the six test organisms were significantly higher than those of the other industrial effluents, and mainly caused by metals. Noticeably, organic pollutants were the main contributing factor to the toxicity of effluents from textile and dyeing plants, pulp and paper mills, fine chemical factories and municipal wastewater treatment plants.

► Acute toxicity of industrial effluents were investigated by a battery of bioassays.
► Potential toxicants in the effluents were identified by TIE with lux bacteria assay.
► Organics were the main toxicants in the industrial effluents.
► Metals were responsible for the toxicity in the effluents of IT industry.