Nickel difluoride

Toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria

Description of key information

Many high quality studies are available in the database of toxicity to aquatic algae and cyanobacteria. A lumped data set for nickel-based compounds was considered for endpoint coverage. The lowest NOEC/EC10 valures were 12.6 µg Ni/L for freshwater algae and 96.7 µg Ni/L for marine algae.

Key value for chemical safety assessment

EC10 or NOEC for freshwater algae:

12.6 µg/L

EC10 or NOEC for marine water algae:

96.7 µg/L

Additional information

Fresh water (Ni)

EC₅₀values are available for many species and range from 58.8 µg Ni/L forChlamydymonas species(Deleebeeck et al., 2009a) and the highest EC₅₀being 52300 µg Ni/L forAnacystis nidulans(Azeez and Banerjee, 1991).From the database of chronic nickel toxicity to freshwater algae, 58 individual NOEC’s are reported for 8 different algae species. NOEC/EC₁₀values range from 12.3 μg/l forScenedesmus accuminatus(Deleebeeck et al., 2009a) to 425 μg/l forPseudokirchneriella subcapitata(Deleebeeck et al., 2009b).

 

The following table indicates those NOEC or EC₁₀values of high quality that have been carried forward for the HC₅-& PNEC derivation:

 

Key Study (freshwater algae)	Selected values for the most sensitive endpoints used for derivation of the freshwater HC5
	Species	Endpoint	Value (s) (µg/L)
Deleebeecket al., 2009b	Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata	EC10	25.3-362
De Schamphelaere et al. (2006)	Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata	EC10	63.0-425
Deleebeecket al., 2009a	Chlamydomonas sp.	EC10	20.4-38.2
	Ankistrodesmus falcatus	EC10	13.6-59.4
	Scenedesmus accuminatus	NOEC	12.3
	Chlorella	EC10	42.0
	Desmodesmus spinosus	NOEC	22.5
	Pediastrum duplex	EC10	20.1-28.2
	Coelastrum microporum	EC10	41.2-51.8

 

Fluoride activity on algae

Fresh water, acute effect: EC50 96h on Selenastrum caprocornutum 132 mg/L of fluoride

Fresh water, chronic effect, 175 hours NOEC on Scenedesmus quadricauda 50mg/L fluoride

 

CONCLUSION NOEC Ni 12.6 µg/L (= NOEC NiF2 0.023 mg/L)

 

Marine (Ni):

Two high quality EC₅₀values are available for species of marine algae, with the lowest EC₅₀being 456 µg Ni/L forChampia parvula(DeForest and Schlekat, 2013) and the highest EC₅₀being 4400 µg Ni/L forMacrocystic pyrifera(DeForest and Schlekat, 2013).From the database of chronic nickel toxicity to marine algae, EC₁₀values are reported for different species.  EC₁₀values range from 97 μg Ni/L for growth of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) (DeForest and Schlekat, 2013) to 17891 μg Ni/L for growth of the dinoflagellate,Dunaliella tertiolecta(DeForest and Schlekat, 2013). The table below indicates the NOEC or EC₁₀values of high quality selected for derivation of HC₅and the marine aquatic PNEC:

 

Key Study (marine algae)	Selected values for the most sensitive endpoints used for derivation of the marine HC5
	Species	Endpoint	Value (s) (µg/L)
DeForest and Schlekat, 2013	Macrocystis pyrifera	EC10	96.7
DeForest and Schlekat, 2013	Champia parvula	EC10	144
DeForest and Schlekat, 2013	Skelatonema costatum	EC10	316.5 (geomean)
DeForest and Schlekat, 2013	Dunaliella tertiolecta	EC10	17,891

 

Fluoride activity on algae

Marine water, acute effect: EC50 96h on Skeletonema costatum 82 mg/L

Marine water, chronic effect 16 days NOEC 50 mg/L fluoride

 

CONCLUSION NOEC Ni 96.7 µg/L (= NOEC NiF2 0.159 mg/L)