Chromium hazard and risk assessment: new insights from a detailed speciation study in a standard test medium

Aharchaou, Imad; Py, Jean-Sebastien; Cambier, Sebastien; Loizeau, Jean-Luc; Cornelis, Geert; Rousselle, Philippe; Battaglia, Eric; Vignati, Davide A. L.

doi:10.1002/etc.4044

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Title		Chromium hazard and risk assessment: new insights from a detailed speciation study in a standard test medium
Authors		Aharchaou, Imad Py, Jean-Sebastien Cambier, Sebastien Loizeau, Jean-Luc Cornelis, Geert Rousselle, Philippe Battaglia, Eric Vignati, Davide A. L.
Published in		Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 2018, vol. 37, no. 4, p. 983-922
Abstract		Despite the consensus about the importance of chemical speciation in controlling the bioavailability and ecotoxicity of trace elements, detailed speciation studies during laboratory ecotoxicity testing remain scarce, contributing to uncertainty when extrapolating laboratory findings to real field situations in risk assessment. We characterized the speciation and ecotoxicological effects of CrIII and CrVI in the OECD medium for algal ecotoxicity testing. Total and dissolved (< 0.22 µm) Cr concentrations showed little variability in media spiked with CrVI, while dissolved Cr concentration decreased by as much as 80% over 72 hours in medium amended with CrIII. Analyses by ion chromatography ICP-MS highlighted the absence of redox interconversion between CrIII or CrVI both in the presence and absence of algal cells (Raphidocelis subcapitata). Furthermore, the concentration of ionic CrIII dropped below detection limits in less than 2 hours with the corresponding formation of carbonate complexes and Cr hydroxides. Precipitation of CrIII in the form of colloidal particles of variable diameters was confirmed by nanoparticle tracking analysis, spICP-MS and single particle counting. In terms of time weighted dissolved (< 0.22 µm) Cr concentration, CrIII was 4 to 10 times more toxic than CrVI. However, CrIII ecotoxicity could arise from interactions between free ionic CrIII and algae at the beginning of the test, from the presence of Cr-bearing nanoparticles or a combination of the two. Future ecotoxicological studies must pay more attention to Cr speciation to reliably compare the ecotoxicity of CrIII and CrVI.
Keywords		Trace metals — Chromium — Metal speciation — Algae — Hazard/Risk assessment
Identifiers		DOI: 10.1002/etc.4044
Full text		Article (Accepted version) (2.2 MB) - Free access Article (Published version) (766 Kb) - Private access
Structures		Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau Centres et instituts / Institut des sciences de l'environnement
Research groups		ISE Eau ISE Pôle Sciences Limnology and Environmental Geology
Citation (ISO format)		AHARCHAOU, Imad et al. Chromium hazard and risk assessment: new insights from a detailed speciation study in a standard test medium. In: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2018, vol. 37, n° 4, p. 983-922. doi: 10.1002/etc.4044 https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:99911