Toxicity assessment of water samples with a set of animal and plant bioassays: Experience of the Ukrainian participation in the WaterTox program

Results are presented for the Ukrainian laboratory testing of the battery o f bioassays designed within the program WaterTox, including Allium cepa, La ctuca sativa, Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuata, Panagrellus redivivus, and Sa lmonella typhimurium, for toxicity and mutagenicity assessment of given org anic and inorganic substances in water samples. Each of the bioassays was c haracterized with respect to its practical use. Experiments were carried ou t over the period of 1 year with six series of four blind samples each, for a total of 24 samples analyzed. In the results, test organisms were ranked according to their sensitivity to toxic impact as follows: nematode < onio n < lettuce < hydra < daphnia. Given test toxicants were also classified in concordance with a complex estimation based on effects fixed for plant and animal bioassays. The following substances were found to be more toxic in increasing order: p,p'-DDT, 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide, Cu+2, Hg+2, and penta chlorophenol; some were less toxic: As+5, lindane, metolachlor, and aniline . The value of the approach with use of the battery of animal and plant bio assays to analyze toxic effects objectively was demonstrated. (C) 2000 by J ohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.