Statistical correlation of ecotoxicity and water quality parameters in slaughterhouse wastewater

The major causes of toxicity in slaughterhouse wastewater are identified by analyzing the relationship between representative pollutants and the acute toxicity of Daphnia magna. Experimental results demonstrate that organic matters are strongly associated with the acute toxicity. Among many organic pollutants, proteins and carbohydrates were found to be the main toxicity inducers that cause metabolic transformation of D. magna. Statistical correlation between biodegradable soluble organics and the acute toxicity further explains how principal pollutants play potential toxin roles. Also, this study verifies that the variations of biochemical oxygen demand over total chemical oxygen demand (BOD TCOD⁻¹) as well as total organic carbon over total carbon (TOC TC⁻¹) can be indirect indicators explaining the acute toxicity of D. magna because the removal of non-degradable and non-soluble organic matters is connected to the toxicity removal. Overall, these results provide how the acute toxicity of D. magna is attributed to pollutants and what is the potential source of threats to society in slaughterhouse wastewater.