SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1967
STP47254S

Measurement of Water Quality with the Pacific Oyster Embryo Bioassay

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Meaningful water quality standards or criteria must be expressed in terms of consumer needs. If these needs are based on chemical parameters, the criteria or standards should be based on chemical measurements. If consumer needs are based on biological factors, standards or criteria should be based on biological measurements. Methods have been developed in which Pacific oyster embryo bioassays measure water quality in terms of response by a type of animal (consumer) found in many of our bays and estuaries. The method has been successfully employed in the laboratory to measure relative toxicity of pulp and paper wastes. Both polluted and unpolluted water from bays and estuaries are routinely bioassayed with oyster embryos. Based on these bioassays, areas of acceptable and unacceptable water quality have been delineated relative to oysters. It is recommended that this method and similar bioassay techniques be adopted as part of the measurements employed in defining water quality standards and criteria.

Author Information

Woelke, C., E.
Washington State Department of Fisheries, Olympia, Wash.
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Details
Developed by Committee: D19
Pages: 112–120
DOI: 10.1520/STP47254S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-6953-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-6634-9