Evaluating the Effects of Diet on the Sensitivity of Hyalella azteca to an “Eco-friendly” Deicing Agent

Salting of roadways contaminates local waterways via snowmelt and precipitation runoff, eliciting various toxicological impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Recently, “eco-friendly” deicing alternatives have been introduced in hopes of mitigating environmental impacts of deicing agents, while maintaining human safety. These “eco-friendly” alternatives may pose their own set of environmental concerns that require further study. While the potential toxicity of road salts has been evaluated for various aquatic species, the environmental factors that may influence this toxicity are less understood; and for emerging deicing alternatives, there is a lack of literature documenting these potential implications. For aquatic organisms, the highest exposure to road salts may coincide with reduced food availability, namely during the winter months. The present study evaluates the effect of a conditioning diet on the sensitivity of adult Hyalella azteca to an “eco-friendly”-labeled beet deicer (Snow Joe MELT Beet-IT). Various conditioning diets were examined, including TetraMin^TM, TetraMin and diatom (Thalassiosira weissflogii) combinations, and TetraMin and conditioned Acer sacharum leaves. For each diet type, 48- and 96-h water-only toxicity bioassays were conducted with adult H. azteca. These results were compared to organisms which experienced a 96-h starvation period prior to exposure and culture organisms. Diet types representing excess quality and quantity of food significantly decreased the toxicity of beet deicer to the organisms. However, starvation likely increases the toxicity of road salts to H. azteca. Therefore, the quantity and quality of food available to H. azteca may influence their sensitivity to deicing agents. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:2608–2615. © 2024 SETAC