Net acidity indicates the whole effluent toxicity of pH and dissolved metals in metalliferous saline waters

Measurements of potential acidity in water are used to manage aquatic toxicity risks of discharge from acid sulfate soils or acid mine drainage. Net acidity calculated from pH, dissolved metals and alkalinity is a common measurement of potential acidity but the relevance of current risk thresholds to aquatic organisms are unclear. Aquatic toxicity testing was carried out using four halophytic organisms with water from four saline sources in southern Western Australia (3 acidic drains and one alkaline river; 39-40 g TDS/L) where acidity was varied by adjusting pH to 4.5-6.5. The test species were brine shrimps (Artemia salina), locally sourced ostracods (Platycypris baueri), microalgae (Dunaliella salina) and amphipods (Allorchestes compressa). Testing found the EC10 and IC10 of net acidity ranged from −7.8 to 10.5 mg CaCO3/L with no survival or growth of any species at >47 mg CaCO3/L. Reduced net acidity indicated reduced whole effluent toxicity more reliably than increased pH alone with organisms tolerating pH up to 1.1 units lower in the absence of dissolved metals. Variation in toxicity indicated by net acidity was mostly attributed to reduced concentrations of dissolved Al and Fe combined with higher pH and alkalinity and some changes in speciation of Al and Fe with pH. These results indicate that rapid in-field assessments of net acidity in acidic, Al dominated waters may be an indicator of potential acute and sub-chronic impacts on aquatic organisms.