Assessment of chronic effects of textile dye disperse red 13 in Daphnia Similis

Abstract

The release of dyes in the aquatic environment can cause harmful effects to biota and also, impair photosynthesis and oxygenation of water body. Disperse Red 13 (DR13) is a textile disperse azo dye it is used in dyeing of synthetic fibers. This class of dyes has low solubility in water and it is generally applied to dye baths in commercial formulations that include surfactants. The toxicity of DR13 and Disperse Red 1 (DR1) dyes was already evaluated for acute test with Daphnia similis and the results showed that DR13 was more toxic than DR1. Other studies showed that D. similis, in the acute test, was more sensitive to the DR1 than to Ceriodaphnia dubia, in the chronic test. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the adverse effects of textile dye DR13, in a highly purified form, in the reproduction of D. similis. The tests will be conducted for 15 days with negative controls and different concentrations of the dye, taking into account its water solubility. The obtained date will provide information about the possible long term effects of DR13 to D. similis for the future derivation of water quality criteria to the aquatic life protection. This is relevant because this dye is marketed in Brazil and may be present in receiving water bodies where textile industrial effluents are discharged and preservation of aquatic life is one of the main uses.