Dissolved Organic Matter Mitigates the Acute Toxicity of Thulium to Hyalella azteca but Ca, Mg and Na Do Not

The demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is growing and as a result, environmental exposure is a concern. The objective of this research was to evaluate the acute toxicity of Tm to Hyalella azteca and to understand the potential for toxicity modification by dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the cations Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+. Standard methods were followed for 96 h static exposures in a medium with a hardness of 60 mg CaCO3/L, pH of 7.3 at 23 degrees C. H. azteca neonates (2-9 d of age) were used and in unmodified media the LC50 concentration was 3.4 mu M [95% CI 2.9-3.9 mu M; 573 mu g/L (482-663)] based on measured dissolved concentrations at the end of the test. Tests done with different concentrations of Ca (0.25, 0.5 and 1.5 mM) did not show consistent trends and there was no clear evidence of a protective effect from Ca. Variations in Na (0.26, 0.5 and 1.6 mM) resulted in no significant changes in toxicity. Similarly, Mg (0.07, 0.14 and 0.4 mM) did not result in significant changes in LC50 values, except for a reduction in toxicity for measured total Tm at the lowest Mg concentration. Our results indicate that Tm toxicity is not influenced by cationic competition (Ca, Na and Mg). Dissolved organic matter (sourced from Luther Marsh ON) offered significant protection against Tm toxicity. Addition of 9 mg DOC/L resulted in significantly increased LC50 values. This study contributes toward understanding the toxicity of Tm and the importance of considering dissolved organic matter in estimating the potential for environmental risk of REEs.

Automated summary

The demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is increasing, leading to environmental exposure concerns. This study evaluated the acute toxicity of Thulium (Tm) to Hyalella azteca and the potential for toxicity modification by dissolved organic matter (DOM) and certain cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+). Results showed that Tm toxicity was not affected by cationic competition, while DOM provided significant protection against Tm toxicity. This research contributes to understanding Tm toxicity and the importance of considering dissolved organic matter in assessing the environmental risk of REEs.