Modification of the acute toxic response of Daphnia magna Straus 1820 to Cr(VI) by the effect of varying saline concentrations (NaCl)

Daphnia magna Straus is a freshwater organism that can strive in environments with a salinity of up to 12 psu, although its life cycle and survival are significantly affected by increasing salinities. Saline environments are not devoid of chemical contaminant influences, such as toxic metals; for freshwater species this could be another stress factor aside from that caused by salinity. In this study, we assessed the acute (48 h) toxicity produced by hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in neonates of a D. magna strain previously acclimated to different salinities induced by adding NaCl to reconstituted hard water. The Mean Lethal Concentration (CL₅₀) values determined for Cr(VI) were 0.14 ± 0.12, 1.35 ± 0.34, 1.79 ± 0.41, 2.0 ± 0.21, 2.02 ± 0.075, and 2.6 ± 0.23 mg l^-1 for salinities of 0.3, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 psu, respectively, evidencing that D. magna's sensitivity to Cr(VI) decreased with increasing salinity. The increase in tolerance could be due to a possible antagonic effect of NaCl on Cr(VI) rather than due to a reduction in Cr(VI) bioavailability due to the NaCl concentration. Although it was not demonstrated that the stress produced by salinity increased the sensitivity to the exposed toxicant, care must be exerted in inferring that the impact of contaminants, such as toxic metals, could be lower on freshwater species that sporadically or permanently strive in brackish water environments.