MA3 WET Testing
Ballroom G, Level 4
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Monday, 10 November 2003
Chair: Hall, Scott , Gully, Joe ,
(028) Forensic ecotoxicology: gas plant effluent case study.
Birkholz, D.1, Goudey, J.2, Withers, N.3, 1 Enviro-Test Laboratories, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada2 HydroQual Laboratories Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada3 BioQual, Hawthorn West, Victoria, Australia
ABSTRACT- In December of 2002, a gas plant effluent sample, submitted for routine testing was found to be toxic to rainbow trout. The company responded to this finding by initiating a toxicity identification evaluation in order to identify the source of the toxicity as required in their operating license. Toxicity was removed following solid phase extraction and the toxicants were recovered following elution with 50% and 75% methanol at ambient pH. The toxic constituents were identified as mono-di-, and tri-bromo-tolyl-triazoles. These compounds are formed by the reaction of corrosion inhibitor (tolyl triazole) with sodium hypochlorite and sodium bromide. These agents are commonly used in cooling towers for corrosion and slime control. The toxic nature of these compounds was confirmed in the labortory. The rationale, methods and details of the findings will be presented.
Key words: rainbow trout, toxicity identification evaluation, brominated tolyl triazoles, gas plant effluent