Application of the Microtox? system in toxicological studies of environmental samples.

Abstract

Conventional toxicological tests conducted according to national or international standards are complicated and time-consuming and require a large laboratory space. The need for analysis of many environmental samples in a short time led to an increasing demand for more practical and easy methods for determination of the effect of pollution on organisms and in a later stage on the state/condition of the entire ecosystem. Therefore, high-speed miniaturized toxicity tests, called microbiotests, gain increased importance. They are based on single-cell or small - multicellular organisms, which in contact with the sample show a specific response. One of such test is the Microtox system, using the marine luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri. In this paper, examples of applications Microtox system in toxicological studies of environmental samples have been presented. The samples of sludge, soil, plant roots and plant infusions were examined. The results of the research allowed estimating the potential health risks resulting from environmental pollution