Ecotoxicological assessment of a polyelectrolyte flocculant

Flocculant blocks are commonly used as a component of (passive) water treatment systems to reduce suspended sediment loads in the water column. This study investigated the potential for aquatic biological impacts of a flocculant block formulation that contained an anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) active ingredient and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) based carrier. The toxicity of the whole flocculant block was assessed and the individual components of the block were also tested separately. Five Northern Australian tropical freshwater species (i.e. Chlorella sp. Lemna aequinoctialis, Hydra viridissima, Moinodaphnia macleayi and Mogurnda mogurnda) were exposed to a range of concentrations of the whole flocculant block, and of the individual PAM and PEG components. The concentration of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in solution was used to provide a measure of the total amount of PAM and PEG present. An extremely wide range of toxic responses were found, with the flocculant blocks being essentially non-toxic to the duckweed, fish and algae (IC 50 > 1880 mg l −1 C TOC, IC 10 > 460 mg l −1 C TOC), slightly toxic to the hydra (IC 50 = 610–2180 mg l −1 C TOC, IC 10 = 80–60 mg l −1 C TOC) and significantly more toxic to the cladoceran (IC 50 = 10 mg l −1 C TOC, IC 10 = 4 mg l −1 C TOC). More detailed investigation of the two components indicated that the PAM was the primary “toxicant” in the flocculant blocks. Derived Protective Concentrations (PCs) for the flocculant blocks, expressed as equivalent TOC concentrations, were found to be lower than typically measured natural environmental concentrations of TOC. It will thus be possible to use TOC as measure of the concentration of PAM only in those situations where lower levels of ecosystem protection (i.e. higher PCs) are applicable. ► A wide range of toxic responses was found with cladocera the most sensitive species. ► IC 50s ranged from 10 to >2590 and 1 to >1020 mg l −1 C for the product and PAM, respectively. ► Investigation of the components indicated PAM was the primary “toxicant” in the flocculant blocks PCs (expressed as TOC) were lower than natural environmental concentrations of TOC. ► TOC as a measure of PAM may be used where lower levels of protection are applicable.