USE OF DUCKWEED (LEMNA-MINOR L.) GROWTH-INHIBITION TEST TO EVALUATE THE TOXICITY OF ACRYLONITRILE, SULPHOCYANIC SODIUM AND ACETONITRILE IN CHINA

This study was designed to evaluate the acute toxicity of three major pollutants (acrylonitrile, sulphocyanic sodium and acetonitrile) in ac rylonitrile-acrylic effluents to Lemna minor using the growth inhibiti on test. As well. the study wanted to determine if L. minor can be use d as an effective bioassay organism in China. The experimental approac h involved exposure of L. minor under standard laboratory conditions t o the three chemicals. The results indicated that the 96 h-IC50S Of th e three chemicals to L. minor were 27.08 mg litre(-1), 3663 mg litre(- 1) and 3685 mg litre(-1), respectively, while using the relative growt h rate as the IC50 endpoint. L. minor proved to be a practical bioassa y organism because the L. minor toxicity test is simple, sensitive, an d cost-effective. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.