Detection and Quantification of Photosystem II Inhibitors Using the Freshwater Alga in Combination with High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography.

We present a novel tool for detecting and monitoring photosystem II (PSII) inhibitors, using the freshwater alga , in environmental samples fractionated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). After chromatographic separation of a sample on a HPTLC plate, the algal suspension is sprayed homogeneously on the plate, and PSII-inhibition by specific sample components is detected based on changes in fluorescence yield, viewed by a maxi Imaging-Pulse-Amplitude-Modulation fluorometer. Dose-dependent responses to the PSII-inhibitor herbicides atrazine and diuron, frequently detected in water bodies, are demonstrated without and with chromatographic separation.

Transcriptional changes measured in rice roots after exposure to arsenite-contaminated sediments.

Transcriptional analyses are discussed to provide a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying toxic effects. Thus, they can complement classic ecotoxicological test methods and potentially allow the identification of biomarkers associated to the exposure of chemical stressors and or adverse biological effects. This feasibility study intended to identify a set of potential gene expression biomarkers for arsenite-exposure in rice roots that could complement the informative value of an existing sediment-contact test with rice.

Results from a round robin test for the ecotoxicological evaluation of construction products using two leaching tests and an aquatic test battery.

A European round robin test according to ISO 5725-2 was conceptually prepared, realised, and evaluated. The aim was to determine the inter-laboratory variability of the overall process for the ecotoxicological characterization of construction products in eluates and bioassays. To this end, two construction products BAM-G1 (granulate) and HSR-2 (roof sealing sheet), both made of EPDM polymers (rubber), were selected.

Development of a sediment-contact test with rice for the assessment of sediment-bound pollutants.

Despite the key role of higher plants in aquatic ecosystems as functional and structural elements, sediment-contact tests with macrophytes are still scarce. Moreover, due to large differences in exposure routes for pollutants as well as in life cycles between the diverse taxa of macrophytes, sensitivities to pollutants vary between taxa. Therefore, the development of new test systems with aquatic macrophytes, in general, is favorable.

Inter-laboratory trial of a standardized sediment contact test with the aquatic plant Myriophyllum aquaticum (ISO 16191).

A whole-sediment toxicity test with Myriophyllum aquaticum has been developed by the German Federal Institute of Hydrology and standardized within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO; ISO 16191). An international ring-test was performed to evaluate the precision of the test method. Four sediments (artificial, natural) were tested.

Sediment contact tests as a tool for the assessment of sediment quality in German waters.

A sediment contact test (SCT) battery consisting of five ecotoxicological test systems was applied to 21 native freshwater sediments characterized by a broad variety of geochemical properties and anthropogenic contamination. Higher plants (Myriophyllum aquaticum), nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans), oligochaetes (Lumbriculus variegatus), zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio), and bacteria (Arthrobacter globiformis), representing various trophic levels and exposure pathways, were used as test organisms. The test battery detected sediment toxicity caused by anthropogenic pollution, whereas the various tests provided site-specific, nonredundant information to the overall toxicity assessment.

Comparing growth development of Myriophyllum spp. in laboratory and field experiments for ecotoxicological testing.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND, GOALS AND SCOPE: Risk assessment of herbicides and the evaluation of contaminated sediments based on algae and the macrophyte Lemna sp. alone may underestimate the potential hazard of certain compounds. Therefore, various test systems with Myriophyllum spp.