SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1982
STP36717S

Evaluation of a Bacterial Bioluminescence Bioassay as a Method for Predicting Acute Toxicity of Organic Chemicals to Fish

Source

The relationship between the toxicity of 68 organic chemicals to fish and luminescent bacteria was evaluated. Chemicals for which 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) values had been measured for fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) in flow-through tests at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth, Minn., were tested using the Microtox toxicity analyzer (Beckman Instruments, Inc.). The Microtox system measures the decrease in luminescence of the bacterium Photobacterium phosphoreum in response to a toxicant. The toxicity end point is the 5-min median effective concentration (EC50), which is the concentration that causes a 50 percent reduction in light output.

The correlation between fish and bacteria toxicity for a composite of industrial chemicals and pesticides had an R2 value of 0.65. However, the relationship of these two end points for a semihomologous series of industrial chemicals appeared to be firm, with R2 being 0.96 for common alcohols. The feasibility of using the bacterial bioassay as a screening test in a cost-effective testing scheme is discussed.

Author Information

Curtis, C
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth, Duluth, Minn.
Lima, A
Center for Lake Superior Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Superior, Wis.
Lozano, SJ
Center for Lake Superior Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Superior, Wis.
Veith, GD
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory-Duluth, Duluth, Minn.
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Details
Developed by Committee: E35
Pages: 170–178
DOI: 10.1520/STP36717S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4831-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0796-0