Experimental Assessment of the Toxicity Effects of Phone Battery Wastes on Aquatic and Terrestrial Bioindicators

Aims: The present study aimed at assessing the toxicity effects of phone battery wastes on aquatic and terrestrial bioindicators.

Study Design: Five treatments and the controls designs designated as 6.25%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%, 100%, CTRL and 1 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 6 mg/kg, CTRL were set up in triplicates and incubated for 24 h, 72 h and 20 days at 25 ± 2°C.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Nigeria during May, 2019 - August, 2019.

Methodology: The growth inhibition and mortality were analyzed using Aspergillus terreus toxicity test, Allium cepa toxicity test and Limicolaria flammea toxicity test.

Results: The results revealed that marine water (7.12 logCFU/mL) was shown to had more fungal count than the fresh water (7.07 logCFU/mL) ecosystem. On A. terreus, Itel in fresh water sample had the highest LC50 values of 30.49% while Gionee in fresh water sample had the lowest LC50 values of 21.74% after 24 h, respectively. The Itel battery sample had higher EC50 value (86.08%) than Gionee battery sample with EC50 value of 65.46% after 72 h on A. cepa. On L. flammea, Itel phone battery sample had lower (5.11%) LC50 value than Gionee phone battery sample with higher (6.20%) LC50 value at 6 mg/kg concentration after 20 days’ exposure, respectively.

Conclusion: The results indicate that indiscriminate release of E- wastes into the aquatic and terrestrial environments should be discouraged.