Ecotoxicological analysis of hospital laundry effluent using Daphnia magna Straus (Crustacea, Cladocera) as a test organism

Abstract

Hospital laundry effluents present a high potential for environmental contamination due to the intensive use of chemical products in rigorous sanitation processes.
This study aimed to evaluate the ecotoxicological potential of effluent from a hospital laundry located in the midwestern region of Santa Catarina, using the
microcrustacean Daphnia magna as a test organism in acute toxicity assays. Seven samples of raw effluent from heavy washing processes were collected and analyzed according to the NBR 12713 standard. Additionally, one sample was subjected to physicochemical analysis, including parameters such as pH, apparent and true color, turbidity, chlorides, BOD, COD, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and sulfates, following the Standard Methods (2012). Ecotoxicological results indicated that the effluent was 256 times more toxic than the limit established by
Fatma Ordinance n. 017/2002, being considered potentially toxic to the receiving water body. Physicochemical analyses showed that parameters such as chlorides, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and sulfates exceeded the legal limits established by current regulations. Therefore, the implementation of low-cost treatment systems and improved control of chemical dosing are recommended to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the discharge of this effluent.