The Determination of Single and Mixture Toxicity at High Concentrations of Some Acidic Pharmaceuticals via Aliivibrio fischeri

Abstract

Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) may cause serious and significant environmental pollution. Environmental analyses have detected pharmaceuticals in addition to conventional chemical pollutants. In our study, the acute toxicity of ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, salicylic acid and substances that are mixtures themselves (INDS) on Aliivibrio fischeri bacterium were assessed with the use of ToxAlert®. The selected materials are acidic in nature, highly polarized and widely sold over-the-counter analgesics. Dose-response curves were drawn, and linear regression analyses and probit analyses determined their 50 %-effective concentrations (EC50). The pharmaceuticals alone are unlikely to have acute impacts in aquatic environments. However, when evaluated in combination with A. fischeri bacterium, the acute toxicity of the INDS mixture was EC50 7.09 ± 5.1 mg/L and the acute toxicity of TUs was 14.10, which indicates their very toxic quality for organisms. Since the target components do not exist in isolation, we should primarily consider the toxicity of the mixture only at high concentrations.