INVERTEBRATES IN TESTING OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS - ARE THEY ALTERNATIVES

An enlarged interpretation of alternatives in toxicology testing inclu des the replacement of one animal species with another, preferably a n onmammalian species. This paper reviews the potential of invertebrates in testing environmental chemicals and provides evidence of their use fulness in alternative testing methodologies. The first part of this r eview addresses the use of invertebrates in laboratory toxicology test ing. Problems in extrapolating results obtained in invertebrates to th ose obtained from vertebrates are noted, suggesting that invertebrates can essentially be used in addition to rather than as replacements fo r vertebrates in laboratory toxicity tests. However, evaluation of the ecologic impact of environmental chemicals must include defining end points that may frequently differ from those classically used in biome dical research. In this context, alternative approaches using inverteb rates may be more pertinent. The second part of the review therefore f ocuses on the use of invertebrates in situ to assess the environmental impact of pollutants. Advantages of invertebrates in ecotoxicologic i nvestigation are presented for their usefulness for seeking mechanisti c links between effects occurring at the individual level and conseque nces for higher levels of biologic organization (e.g., population and community). In the end, it is considered that replacement of vertebrat es by invertebrates in ecotoxicity testing is likely to become a reali ty when basic knowledge of metabolic, physiologic, and developmental p atterns in the latter will be sufficient to assess the effect of a giv en chemical through end points that could be different between inverte brates and vertebrates.