P. Radix et al., Comparison of four chronic toxicity tests using algae, bacteria, and invertebrates assessed with sixteen chemicals, ECOTOX ENV, 47(2), 2000, pp. 186-194
The performances of four chronic toxicity tests, comprising the Daphnia mag
na 21-day (d) (crustacean), Brachionus calyciflorus 2-d (rotifer), Pseudoki
rchneriella subcapitata 72-h (green algae), and the Microtox chronic 22-h (
bacteria) tests, mere compared. Sixteen chemicals with toxicity covering 6
orders of magnitude mere studied. Very high correlations were found between
the NOEC/EC10 Pseudokirchneriella 72-h, NOEC/EC10 Brachionus 2-d, and the
NOEC Daphnia 21-d tests. The toxicological response of rotifers and microal
gae were within the same order of magnitude as the response of Daphnia in 8
0% of cases (13/16 chemicals). The Microtox chronic test also anticipated t
he overall results of the Daphnia 21-d test, but the prediction was rather
imprecise, compared with microalgae and rotifers, The test measuring the al
gal growth inhibition of P. subcapitata after 72 h was the most sensitive b
ioassay. Toxicity on microalgae after 72 h could be estimated after 5 h by
measuring either the direct fluorescence of either photosynthetic pigments
or fluorescein diacetate in 56 and 43% of cases, respectively. The median v
alue of the ratio between EC10 and EC50 was 3.75, 2, and 1.5 with the algae
, the rotifers, and the bacteria, respectively. (C) 2000 Academic Press.