The use of miniaturized algal bioassays in comparison to the standard flask assay

Abstract

Plastic test tubes and microplates were used in two miniaturized algal bioassays for comparison with a standard algal operational procedure in glass flasks. All three methods used spectrophotometrical measurements of growth of the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata after 72 h. The EC50 values were determined from growth inhibition results for three metal compounds (CuSO4˙5H2O, ZnSO4˙7H2O, KMnO4), one pesticide (trichlorphone), and eight pharmacological drugs (oxytetracycline hydrochloridum, peroxysulphate, toltrazuril, pyrrolidone, formaldehyde, sodium chloride, chloridochlornane, and benzensulphochloramidum). Good interprocedural concordance for chemicals were reported and the comparability of toxicity results was demonstrated also for the eight environmental samples. This comparative study describes and recommends two algal microbioassays that can be used as an alternative to the standard flask toxicity test with algae. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol Water Qual 13: 235–241, 1998