Characterisation of the impact of aqueous industrial waste in mesocosms: biological indicators and pilot streams

The use of exposure biomarkers in measuring the impact of aqueous waste hol ds out promise because such tools have short response times, are of flexibl e use and give an indication of the type of pollution. However, their ecolo gical significance has not yet been demonstrated. During field studies focu sing on aqueous industrial waste, the correlations obtained between several biocoenotic indicators and biomarkers measured in a fresh-water bivalve (C orbicula fluminea), demonstrate the need for work to be carried out under c ontrolled conditions. Working in partnership with the Adour Garonne Water Board, the ELF company has developed a pilot scheme incorporating such controlled conditions. This pilot is made up of 16 canals 40 m in length supplied by river water. The pilot scheme, which is currently at the validation stage, makes it possible to reconstitute an aquatic ecosystem which, once established, will be expo sed to perfectly controlled pollution conditions. The responses provided by all the indicators - biocoenotic and microbiological indicators, biomarker s - will then be correlated in order to attribute an ecological significanc e to the biomarkers.