Determination of the Maximum Acceptable Toxicant Concentration (MATC) and the safe Concentration for Certain Aquatic Pollutants

Abstract

Abstract — The 96 h TL 50 values, the maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) and the safe concentrations were determined for various aquatic pollutants, viz. thiotox, chlordane, metasystox, dichlorvos, sevin and carbofuran (pesticides), phenol, pentachlorophenol and dinitrophenol (phenolic compounds), cadmium chloride and copper sulphate (heavy metal), swascofix P 14 , swanic 6 L and swascol 1P (synthetic detergent) using the larvae (the most sensitive stage of the life cycle) of Cyprinus carpio , a fresh water exotic carp. — The estimated MATC ranged between 0.009 and 400 μg/1 for all the pollutants; — the calculated value of the application factor (AF) ranged between 0.0096 and 0.0978. — The safe concentrations were determined for each pollutant by the lowest value of application factor worked out in the present investigation; — safe concentrations were also worked out by different formulae given by different workers. The values obtained were compared with the safe concentrations value worked out by the authors of the present study.