Przykłady wykorzystania testu OSTRACODTOXKIT F™ do oceny zanieczyszczenia pyłów drogowych metalami w aglomeracji wrocławskiej

The application of OSTRACODTOXKIT F™ test to assess metals contamination in road dust in Wrocław agglomeration. Pollutants present in road dust deriving from traffi c, such as PAHs and other organic compounds or heavy metals, are washed out with rain and get into the water bodies accumulating in sediments for many years and simultaneously posing a threat to aquatic life and signifi cantly affecting water quality. To study the impact of these toxic compounds on the health of living organisms, routine tests of water and sediments chemistry are insuffi cient as studies based on living organisms are much more reliable. And therefore, in order to know the response of living organisms to road dust pollutants which enter the water bodies the chronic toxicity test OSTRACODTOXKIT F™ was used. This test is based on the observation of development of Heterocypris incongruens that normally lives in sediments. Ostracod, H. incongruens is very sensitive to heavy metal contamination, thus it is a very good tool to study toxicity of road dust washed out with rain into the water bodies. The research was conducted in the Wrocław agglomeration (in the city centre and suburbs) at sites differing in the intensity of car traffi c. We observed that road dust had a signifi cant effect on growth inhibition and death of ostracods, as highest growth inhibition and mortality in the busy areas occurred which also corres ponded with highest concentrations of studied elements at these sites. On the other hand, road dust collected in the suburbs of Wrocław did not cause death of H. incongruens and only slightly affected their development. In conclusion, we can state that the chronic toxicity test OSTRACODTOXKIT F™ is a suitable tool to study the impact of road dust on the aquatic ecosystem.