Invertebrates in Testing of Environmental Chemicals: Are They Alternatives?

Abstract

An enlarged interpretation of alternatives in toxicology testing includes the replacement of one animal species with another, preferably a nonmammalian species. This paper reviews the potential of invertebrates in testing environmental chemicals and provides evidence of their usefulness in alternative testing methodologies. The first part of this review addresses the use of invertebrates in laboratory toxicology testing. Problems in extrapolating results obtained in invertebrates to those obtained from vertebrates are noted, suggesting that invertebrates can essentially be used in addition to rather than as replacements for vertebrates in laboratory toxicity tests. However, evaluation of the ecologic impact of environmental chemicals must include defining end points that may frequently differ from those classically used in biomedical research. In this context, alternative approaches using invertebrates may be more pertinent. The second part of the review therefore focuses on the use of invertebrates in situ to assess the environmental impact of pollutants. Advantages of invertebrates in ecotoxicologic investigation are presented for their usefulness for seeking mechanistic links between effects occurring at the individual level and consequences for higher levels of biologic organization (e.g., population and community). In the end, it is considered that replacement of vertebrates by invertebrates in ecotoxicity testing is likely to become a reality when basic knowledge of metabolic, physiologic, and developmental patterns in the latter will be sufficient to assess the effect of a given chemical through end points that could be different between invertebrates and vertebrates. EnvironHealth Perspect 1 06(Suppl 2):593-611 http://ehpnetl .niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/Suppl-2/ 593-61 llagadic/abstract.html

13th Meeting of the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals (SGOMSEC): alternative testing methodologies for ecotoxicity.

“…This is not the case for fish or mammal species traditionally used in biomonitoring programs. Recent studies of the effect of endocrine disruptors on aquatic invertebrates have provided evidence to support the existence of causal links between organismal responses and changes at population or community levels (1). Mechanistic linkage between effects at different levels of biological organization has also been achieved using the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex in which changes in physiological energetics have been linked to community function that may be indicative for changes in community structure (60).…”

“…However, they allow the tests to be performed on species that are not of major societal concern, but which play key roles in the structure and functioning of ecosystems. For example, investigations of chemical effects in freshwater mesocosms have largely used invertebrate species because of their importance in aquatic food webs (1).…”

“…The complexity increases as we move from vertebrates (numbered in thousands of species), which in the past have largely been the sentinel species of choice, to invertebrates (numbered in millions). The use of invertebrates in alternative testings of environmental chemicals is discussed by Lagadic and Caquet (1). The (Table 1).…”

“…* The use of lower organism as surrogates for vertebrates in toxicity testing (1,2). This concept is considered in the sections on "Present Testing Requirements" and "Alternative Methods Already Developed."…”

Écocompatibilité des eaux de percolation de déchets stabilisés: Évaluation écotoxique au laboratoire et étude expérimentale en canaux artificiels extérieurs

“…Léglize & Nourisson (1983) considèrent que le niveau de contamination des invertébrés reflète non seulement celui de l'eau, mais aussi celui du milieu aquatique dans son ensemble (sédiments, etc.). De multiples critères, taxonomiques, éco-logiques, physiologiques, etc., ont abouti au choix des invertébrés comme organismes-test pour les bioessais en milieu aquatique [Jean & Fruget, 1994 ;Lagadic & Caquet, 1998]. A partir de cela, des écosystèmes expérimentaux ont été réalisés avec pour objectif de reconstituer des communautés d'invertébrés benthiques et interstitiels pour tester et prédire les effets de divers polluants sur les différents paramètres descripteurs de ces communautés (composition faunistique, abondance, diversité, émergence, etc.)…”