Results of a technology demonstration project to compare rapid aquatic toxicity screening tests in the analysis of industrial effluents

Abstract

The results of a 'BioWise' demonstration project to assess the comparative sensitivity and practicality of seven new assays for the direct assessment of ecotoxicity in industrial effluents are presented. In addition the aim of the project was to validate the results of the new assays against benchmark data generated from non-proprietary, rapid, microplate screening assays using the regulatory species; freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna and green algae Selenastrum capricornutum, chosen in view of their environmental relevance. The new commercial test assays were: Daphnia magna, Selenastrum capricornutum and Thamnocephalus platyurus Toxkits supplied by Vickers Laboratories Ltd, containing dormant, immobilised life stages of the test species; GreenScreen EM, a yeast based assay for genotoxicity and general acute toxicity supplied by Gentronix Ltd; and CellSense a mediated, amperometric whole cell biosensor based on immobilised activated sludge and E. coli. 38 effluent samples supplied by members of SOCSA (Specialised Organic Chemicals Sector Association) were examined over a period of 13 months, in the project co-ordinated by the AstraZeneca Brixham Environmental Laboratory, and part funded by BioWise via the UK Government Department of Trade and Industry.

Review on the acuteDaphnia magnatoxicity test – Evaluation of the sensitivity and the precision of assays performed with organisms from laboratory cultures or hatched from dormant eggs

“…Similar comparative studies were performed during the next years on pure chemicals as well as on natural samples in laboratories in different countries. For example, such investigations have been made in Poland on nine pesticides (Fochtman, 2000), in Austria on 12 solid waste leachates (Latif and Zach, 2000), in Croatia on 30 household products (Ulm et al, 2000) and in the UK on 38 industrial effluents (Daniel et al, 2004). An overview of these studies is reported in TTable VI which shows that all correlation coefficients (r) of the 24 h EC50s were within the 0.86 to 0.98 range.…”

Ecotoxicity tests in the environmental analysis of wastewater treatment plants: Case study in Portugal

“…In many countries ecotoxicity tests are already used in wastewater management [8][9][10]. This approach has advantages particularly in the impact assessment of complex wastewaters, for example to protect biological treatment plants from toxic influents and to monitor the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) [11][12][13]. Measured concentrations of organic wastewater contaminants in freshwaters, namely steroids and hormones, are low [14] but little is known about the potential interactive effects in complex mixtures that may occur in the environment and about their effect on human health [15].…”

Ecotoxicological Characterization of Waste

“…Within-lab (intra) and (Vangheluwe et al 2000), on waste leachates (Latif & Zach 2000), on fly ash leachate (Lucivjanska et al 2000) and on industrial effluents (Daniel et al 2004). For the Daphtoxkit, similar comparative studies with the standard D. magna assay have been published for pure chemicals (Persoone 1998b;Fochtman 2000;Lucivjanska et al 2000;Venturin & Ros 2003;Baudo et al 2004;Baudo et al 2008), household products (Ulm et al 2000), waste leachates (Latif & Zach 2000), fly ash leachate (Lucivjanska et al 2000) and industrial effluents (Daniel et al 2004). Table 23.2 nevertheless shows that variation coefficients of the Toxkit results for the waste eluates were high for the algal bioassay (79-93%), but also relatively high for the Daphtoxkit and the chronic Rotoxkit for some waste eluates.…”