ABSTRACT The increasing volume of effluents generated by slaughterhouses is driving studies that seek sustainable alternatives for their reuse in agriculture. However, the reuse of these effluents must be done with caution because when applied to the soil, they can interfere with terrestrial ecology or even in aquatic ecosystems when transported by leaching or runoff. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of cattle slaughter effluent and effluent disinfected with peracetic acid (PAA) using the terrestrial bioindicator Eisenia fetida (earthworms) and the aquatic bioindicator, Vibrio fischeri (bioluminescent bacteria). After defining the PAA dosage 10 mg L −1 ), the physicochemical characteristics of the effluent were analyzed before and after the application of the disinfectant. Regarding the ecotoxicological tests, the escape test with E. fetida showed a higher rate in the effluent with PAA (75%), whereas the non‐disinfected effluent showed an escape rate of 65%. According to the tests using V. fischeri , the effluent did not present toxicity, but there was toxicity (luminescence inhibition >20%) in the effluent disinfected with PAA in the two tests performed in different collections. The soil biodegradability tests demonstrated that there was an increase in oxygen consumption in the soil moistened with the effluent. In decreasing order of soil biodegradability, the following were obtained: Soil moistened with effluent disinfected with PAA, soil moistened with effluent without disinfectant, and control soil. Therefore, further studies are needed to optimize the effluent treatment process, its disinfection, and to reduce potential impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Estimé et al. (Sun,) studied this question.