Ecotoxicity of dyes and their products generated by advanced oxidative treatment

Dyes have a wide diversity of structures and uses, and then these substances are present in many industrial sectors. Dyes also can be found as contaminants in aquatic environments after wastewater discharge of textile industries, food industries, tanneries and laundries. Many dyes can be toxic to aquatic organisms. Several treatments have been proposed to remove dyes from effluents preventing the surface water contamination and one of the most promising tools are the advanced oxidative treatments. The aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of textile and food dyes to aquatic organisms, before and after photo - Fenton. We employed tests with the freshwater organisms, Daphnia similis, Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. The dye C.I. Vat green 3 was considered the most toxic dye among the commercial dyes tested in this study. Taking into account the treatment of the commercial products and the toxicity tests, the treatment of C.I. Acid Orange 7 generated toxic intermediates for D. similis, but at the end of the treatment no toxicity was observed. After the C.I. Reactive Black 5 treatment greater toxicity was observed to P. subcapitata in comparison with the commercial dye toxicity. At the beginning of the C.I. Vat Green 3 treatement the toxicity was lower than the commercial dye to D. similis and P. subcapitata, but at the end of the treatment the toxicity was higher than the commercial dye for both organisms. For the food dye C.I. Food Yellow 3 treated, was not observed toxicity for D. similis, but at the end of the treatment toxicity was observed for P. subcapitata. The dye C.I Food Red 17 was toxic to D. similis and P. subcapitata at the beginning of the treatment, but at the end of the treatment no toxicity was observed (AU)