Eighteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

This study evaluates the toxicity of road dust using different extraction scenarios on Daphnia magna and Artemia salina as aquatic organisms in addition to Prosopis cineraria and Vachellia tortilis as plant species. No significant difference in the survival percentage between the control and all dust extract/ mixture scenarios were observed except the artificial mixture with a significant mortality in D. magna juveniles. Chemical analysis of different extracts shows considerable amount of trace metals, however the trace metals in the dust extract associated with suspended sediment were not absorbed by the receptors. On the other hand, the concentration of trace metals in the artificial mixture were found bioavailable and absorbed causing high percentage of mortality. In the plant assay, significant difference was obtained in the germination percentage between the control and three different extraction exposures in both plant species. The mean root length of P. cineraria and V. tortilis were higher in 20% and 50% extracts than the control probably due to the availability of nutrients from the dust extract. Interestingly however, the seedling vigor index was the opposite with higher index in the control and lower in dust extracts that contains heavy metals.