Test Types

There are a variety of approaches for assessing the toxicity of environmental samples with the Microtox Toxicity Test System . Aquatox Research staff can assist clients in the selection of appropriate Microtox tests for the toxicity assessment of samples of interest. A brief description of each of the more prominent tests is provided below.

• Screening Tests; used with aqueous samples of unknown toxicity in order to define a toxic range.
• 100% and 90% Tests; used with low toxicity aqueous samples in order to generate a median effective concentration (EC₅₀)
• Basic Tests; used with aqueous samples for which an approximate toxic range is known in order to generate a EC₅₀.
• Comparison and Inhibition Tests; used to establish the existence of toxicity through comparisons between a single aqueous sample and a control treatment
• 100% Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Test; recently developed for use in testing aqueous effluents. Please see results of round robin study conducted in September and December, 1998 (Round Robin Results)
• Solid-Phase Tests; used with soils or sediments to turbid aqueous samples to generate a EC₅₀