%0 Journal Article %T Toxicity of fluorescent tracers and their degradation byproducts %+ Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS) %+ Périnatalité et Risques Toxiques - UMR INERIS_I 1 (PERITOX) %+ École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique [EHESP] (EHESP) %+ Département Santé Environnement Travail et Génie Sanitaire (DSETGS) %A Gombert, Philippe %A Biaudet, Hugues %A de Seze, René %A Pandard, Pascal %A Carré, Jean %< avec comité de lecture %Z EN-2017-022 %@ 0392-6672 %J International Journal of Speleology %I Società Speleologica Italiana %V 46 %N 1 %P 23-31 %8 2017 %D 2017 %R 10.5038/1827-806X.46.1.1995 %K Chalk %K Degradation %K Ecotoxicity %K Toxicity %K Tracer %Z Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences %Z Environmental Sciences %Z Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology %Z Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/EcotoxicologyJournal articles %X Tracer tests are frequently used to delineate catchment area of water supply springs in karstic zones. In the karstic chalk of Normandy, the main tracers used are fluorescent: uranine, sulforhodamine B, naphtionate, and Tinopal®. In this area, a statistical analysis shows that less than half of the injected tracers joins the monitored restitution points and enters the drinking water system where they undergo chlorination. Most of the injected tracers is absorbed in the rock matrix or is thrown out of the aquifer via karstic springs: then it can join superficial waters where it is degraded due to the sun and air action. The paper presents firstly the laboratory degradation of a first batch of fluorescent tracers in contact with chlorine, in order to simulate their passage through a water treatment system for human consumption. A second batch of the same tracers is subjected to agents of natural degradation: ultraviolet illumination, sunlight and air sparging. Most tracers is degraded, and toxicity and ecotoxicity tests (on rats, daphniae and algae) are performed on degradation byproducts. These tests do not show any acute toxicity but a low to moderate ecotoxicity. In conclusion, the most used fluorescent tracers of the Normandy karstic chalk and their artificial and natural degradation byproducts do not exhibit significant toxicity to humans and the aquatic environment, at the concentrations generally noted at the restitution points. %G English %L ineris-01853426 %U https://ineris.hal.science/ineris-01853426 %~ SDE %~ INERIS %~ UNIV-PICARDIE %~ GIP-BE %~ EHESP %~ USPC %~ DSETGS %~ UNIV-RENNES %~ U-PICARDIE %~ PERITOX %~ TEST3-HALCNRS