An algal toxicity test has been developed specifically for use in the environmental safety assessment of new chemicals. The test is based on the Algal Assay Procedure (Bottle Test) but has been modified in order to make the procedure useful for toxicity assessment. A five-day exposure of freshwater or marine unialgal cultures to a range of test material concentrations is followed by a nine-day recovery period in the absence of the test material. Cell counts or in vivo fluorescence measurements made during the study allow the quantification of toxic responses ranging from reduced growth, through the algistatic response, to the algicidal response. The primary toxicity effect sought in this method is the algistatic response, which is both easily determined and environmentally meaningful. The algistatic concentration of a test material, as derived by this method, is the concentration that causes no net change in cell number after chronic exposure but permits regrowth when the cells are resuspended in fresh media without the test material. The environmental significance of this type of measurement relative to other measurements of algal toxicity is discussed.
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