In situ toxicity testing

Pereira, A.M.M., Soares, A.M.V.M., Goncalves, F. and Ribeiro, R. (1999) Test chambers and test procedures for in situ toxicity testing with zooplankton, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 18 (9), 1956-1964. 

The Sediment Quality Triad (SQT) is an effects-based conceptual approach that can be used to assess and determine the status of contaminated sediments based on biology (laboratory and/or in situ toxicity tests), chemistry (chemical identification and quantification), and ecology (community structure and/or function). It provides a means for comparing three different lines of evidence (LOE) and arriving at a weight of evidence (WOE) determination regarding the risk posed by contaminated sediments. Effectively, each LOE comprises an independent assessment of hazard combined and integrated, they provide an assessment of risk. 

In contrast to the aforementioned toxicity tests, in situ toxicity tests involve exposing organisms to contaminants on-site. This provides for more environmental realism, but there is also less control over confounding variables that may affect toxicity (spatial or temporal variation in temperature, sunlight, nutrients, pH, etc.), or other factors that may disturb or disrupt the test (animals, winds, floods, vandalism, etc.). For these tests, animals may be placed in mesh cages or corralled by impermeable barriers, such as wood, metal, or plastic sheets, at various locations throughout the contaminated zone. Plants may be planted in plots of contaminated soils. Toxicity endpoints may include survival, sublethal effects, or accumulation of contaminants in body tissues. For these tests, organisms are also placed in less contaminated sites for comparison. 

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