Bioassays for risk assessment of coal conversion products

Traditional as well as biotechnological processing of coal leads to complex mixtures of products. Besides chemical and physical characterization, whic h provides the information for product application, there is a need for bio assays to monitor properties that are probably toxic, mutagenic or cancerog enic. Investigations carried out focused on the selection, adaptation and v alidation of bioassays for the sensitive estimation of toxic effects. Organ isms like bacteria, Daphnia magna and Scenedesmus subspicatus, representing different complexities in the biosphere, were selected as test systems for ecotoxicological and mutagenicity studies. The results obtained indicate t hat bioassays are, in principle, suitable tools for characterization and ev aluation of coal-derived substances and bioconversion products. Using coal products, coal-relevant model compounds and bioconversion products, data fo r risk assessment are presented.