A comparison between Daphnia pulex and Hydra vulgaris as possible test organisms for agricultural run-off and acid mine drainage toxicity assessments

Abstract

Bioassays, consisting of a diverse selection of organisms, aid in assessing the ecotoxicological status of aquatic ecosystems. Daphnia pulex and Hydra vulgaris are commonly used test organisms belonging to different trophic levels. The current study focused on comparing the sensitivity of H. vulgaris to D. pulex when exposed to geometric dilutions of two different water sources, the first (Site 1) from a source containing agricultural run-off and the second (Site 2), acid mine drainage. These sources were selected based on the contribution that the agricultural and mining sectors make to water pollution in South Africa. The bioassay method followed in this study was a modified version of the method described by the USEPA and additional peer-reviewed methods. The mortalities as well as morphological changes (H. vulgaris) were analysed using Microsoft Excel. The LC50-values were statistically determined using the EPA Probit Analysis Model and the Spearman-Karber analysis methods.

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