Toxicity tests
Monitoring the environmental impact of effluent discharges,
chemical spills or other activities that introduce chemicals into
the environment is very important as such discharges could result
in biological changes.
Our teams carry out tests across a wide range of fish,
invertebrates and other aquatic species. Among them are:
Toxicity in marine effluents, seawater and sediment
- benthic copepod (Tisbe battagliai) - acute 48-hour
test
- Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) - 24-hour
development test
- marine diatom (Skeletonema costatum) - 72-hour growth
inhibition test
- juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) - acute 96-hour
test
- mussel embryo (Mytilus edulis) - 24-hour
development test, scope for growth and multi-drug resistance
assay
- amphipod crustacean (Corophium volutator) - used
in sediment toxicity tests
- marine worm (Arenicola marina) - used in sediment
toxicity tests
Toxicity in freshwater effluents, surface waters and sediment
- cladoceran (Daphnia magna) - 48-hour immobilisation
test
- green alage (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) -
72-hour growth inhibition test
- juvenile trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) - acute
96-hour test
Extracts/concentrates from freshwater or marine samples
We use in vitro assays, for example:
- YES assay - for oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic activity
- YAS assay - for androgenic and anti-androgenic activity
- DR-CALUX - aryl hydrocarbon activity
- ABC - antibiotic screening assay
- Greenscreen - mutagenic activity
We conduct Direct Toxicity Assessments (DTAs) to measure the
toxicity of complex industrial effluents. The resulting data is
used to predict risks to the aquatic environment.
Among the contaminants we have tested recently are
nanomaterials, hydrocarbons, oils, pharmaceuticals, pesticides,
metals, oestrogens, antibiotics, flame retardants and anti-foulants
(including TBT).
Please contact us at ecotox@cefas.co.uk for
further information.