Toxicity bioassays with freshwater and wastewater applied to environmental forensic investigation

Environmental forensic investigation is an area that still lacks adequate methodologies for the effective fulfillment of its purpose. This study evaluated the application of ecotoxicity bioassays in environmental forensic investigation related to water pollution . Samples were collected from streams in a municipality located in the south central region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, receiving tannery effluents suspected of causing water pollution. This study included acute and chronic toxicity bioassays in water and tannery effluent samples, using microcrustaceans as bioindicators, as well as dosage of chromium, cadmium and lead in samples. Toxic effects on survival and reproduction of organisms were detected, which were related to high concentrations of chromium in the samples, reaching up to 3955.0 mg.Kg-1. The ecotoxicological assessment showed a high potential for application in Environmental Forensic Investigation, as it provided robust evidence of the impact of the assessed activities on bioindicators of aquatic fauna.