Bioassays in Ecotoxicology : A Practical Course

This long-awaited tool for teaching practical ecotoxicology at college and postgraduate level presents a careful selection of the most widely-used ecotoxicological bioassays using microbial, invertebrate animal, and plant organisms. All the assays have been validated by ecotoxicology experts and adhere to international standards, and include detailed protocols for performing them in the laboratory. The didactical approach, which includes a general introduction, study questions and a list of recommended reading, means this book is particularly suitable as a companion for a practical course on the subject. All the procedures have been meticulously tested in the authors' laboratories and are optimized for use with students. Similarly, the user-friendly diagrams and color photographs of the organisms make the book highly accessible for untrained users, such as students and technicians trying to master the technique.

Anette Fomin is a lecturer at the institute of plant ecology at the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim (Germany). The focus of her scientific work is on aquatic and terrestrial biomonitoring.

Joerg Oehlmann is professor for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Frankfurt (Germany). His scientific focus is on the biological monitoring of environmental chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Hans Ratte is professor for Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology at the Technical University of Aachen (Germany). He is also a member, and a former president, of the European section of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

PART I: BASIC CONSIDERATIONS Introduction to ecotoxicological testing International norms and regulations Mode of action of selected toxicants Statistics in ecotoxicological testing Setting up a practical course PART II: INVERTEBRATE BIOASSAYS Acute toxicity assay using Daphnia magna Soil toxicity assay using Eisenia fetida Sediment toxicity assay using Caenorhabditis elegans Cadmim sensitivity assay using Lumbricus rubellus Reproductive toxicity assay using Potamopyrgus antipodarum Reproductive toxicity assay using Chironomus riparius Reproductive toxicity assay using Calliphora erythrocephala PART III: PLANT BIOASSAYS Algae growth assay using Chlorella vulgaris Plant growth assay using Lemna minor Toxicity assay using Myriophyllum aquaticum Plant growth assay using Lepidium sativum Genotoxicity assay using Tradescantia (Trad-MCN-Test) Mutagenicity assay using Tradescantia (Trad-SHM-Test) Mutagenicity assay using Arabidopsis thaliana PART IV: MICROBIAL BIOASSAYS Cell viability assay using Vibrio fischeri Genotoxicity assay using Salmonella typhimurium Cell motility assay using Euglena gracilis