The Microtox as an alternative assay in the acute toxicity assessment of water pollutants

The toxicity of 15 chemicals was determined with the Microtox Assay System (MAS). Subsequently the sensitivity of the MAS was compared with that of standard aquatic toxicity tests, comprising 20 different species including recommended test species. The MAS yielded fairly replicable results which were comparable with those obtained with the standard tests. As the MAS does not require the culturing of test organisms and takes about 5% of the actual work involved in the standard procedures, it is suggested to use the MAS as a prescreening tool in the hazard assessment of chemicals.