Evaluation of a bioassay battery for water toxicity testing: A Chilean experience

The performance of a multitrophic level bioassay battery for detecting toxi c effects from 24 blind samples was evaluated. Assays performed included (1 ) acute toxicity using Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuata, Panagrellus redivivu s, Lactuca sativa, and Allium cepa L; (2) chronic or sublethality using Hyd ra and Panagrellus; and (3) mutagenicity using Fluctuation (Muta-ChromoPlat e kit) and Panagrellus redivivus. Ideally, the bioassay battery should be s imple, inexpensive, and multitrophic and have wide-spectrum response to tox ic substances, fast delivery results (<5 days), and supplies locally availa ble. The response of the selected core of bioassays was found to be satisfa ctory. Toxicity rankings, estimated by comparing the highest expected respo nse from each sample concentration of each bioassay, were the following: fo r acute toxicity Allium (87%), Lactuca (86%), Daphnia (67%), Hydra (43%), a nd Panagrellus (38%); for sublethality Hydra (74%) and Panagrellus (70%); a nd for mutagenicity Fluctuation (62%) and Panagrellus (58%). The samples te sted contained the following toxicants: heavy metals (As+5, Cd+2, Cr+6, Cu2, Hg+2, and Zn+2); organics (dinitrophenol, aniline, nitroquinoline, nonyl phenol, and pentachlorophenol); and pesticides (aldrin, metolachlor, and li ndane). Allium, Daphnia, and Lactuca were highly sensitive for detecting ac ute toxicity from copper, chromium, cadmium, mercury, pentachlorophenol, no nylphenol, nitroquinoline, aniline, aldrin, p,p'-DDT, lindane, and metolach lor; Hydra demonstrated high lethality for zinc, nitroquinoline, and the pe sticides. Sublethality for the majority of chemicals was well detected with Hydra. Detection of mutagenicity from metals, organic compounds, and pesti cides was in some cases similar and in others complementary with the fluctu ation and Panagrellus tests. (C) 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.