SIMULATION METHOD FOR DETERMINING BIODEGRADATION IN SURFACE WATERS

OECD guidelines and EU directives on the biological testing of chemica ls contain no methods able to simulate biodegradation in surface water s. The surface water simulation method presented in this paper is suit able for closing this gap. The species in the autochthonous biocoenosi s used in the method form part of the food web in natural surface wate rs. The microbial degradation activity measured by the half-life is co mparable with that in surface waters. The degrees of degradation measu red in this surface water simulation method can be applied to natural surface waters.