Importance of calcium in modifying the acute toxicity of sodium sulphate to Hyalella azteca and Daphnia magna

Modification of the acute toxicity of sodium sulphate to Hyalella azteca and Daphnia magna was investigated using exposure water with different levels of water hardness (expressed as CaCO3 equivalents) and calcium–magnesium molar (Ca:Mg) ratios. The influence of Ca:Mg ratios on the toxicity of sodium and potassium chloride to D. magna also was investigated. For both species, the mean lethal concentrations that resulted in mortality of 50% of the sample population (LC50s), expressed as mg SO42–/L, were increased significantly in harder water and in water with higher Ca:Mg ratios. The LC50s for H. azteca increased from 569 to 5,259 mg/L with a change in water hardness from 25 to 250 mg/L. Furthermore, modifying the Ca:Mg ratio from 0.7 to 7.0 at a constant hardness of 100 mg/L significantly increased LC50s from 2,101 to 2,725 mg/L. The LC50s for D. magna were also significantly higher in harder water with LC50s increasing from 1,194 to 3,203 mg/L with a change in water hardness from 25 to 100 mg/L. In addition, modifying the Ca:Mg ratio from 0.7 to 7.0 significantly increased LC50s from 1,194 to 1,985 at a constant hardness of 25 mg/L, and from 3,203 to 4,395 mg/L at a constant hardness of 100 mg/L. No significant change in the toxicity of potassium or sodium chloride to D. magna was observed in waters with higher Ca:Mg ratios.