The toxicity of aluminum to aquatic species in the US

Abstract

In August 1988 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an ambient water quality criteria document for the protection of aquatic organisms from the toxic effects of aluminum. The EPA water quality criteria were developed utilizing procedures described in theGuidelines for Deriving Numerical National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses, and after careful analysis of the latest toxicological information available to EPA on the adverse effects of aluminum on aquatic vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. The EPA criteria recommend that the four-day average concentration of aluminum not exceed 87 μg L⁻¹ more than once every three years on the average when the ambient pH is between 6.5 and 9.0 to provide protection from chronic toxicity. The criteria also recommend that the one-hour average concentration of aluminum not exceed 750 μg L⁻¹ more than once every three years on the average when the ambient pH is between 6.5 and 9.0 to provide protection from acute toxicity. Acute toxicity data for 20 species of freshwater aquatic organisms and chronic toxicity data for five species of freshwater aquatic organisms were utilized to develop the EPA water quality criteria. Striped bass and brook trout were observed to be the two most sensitive North American species to the toxic effects of aluminum. Aluminum toxicity was also observed to be increased at lower pH.