The Coastal Resource Coordinator's Bioassessment Manual

HAZMAT 93-1–Toxicity Tests
Table 3-1. Advantages and disadvantages of toxicity tests.
Advantages
Provides quantifiable information
about the potential for bioeffects at a
site.
Indirect indicator of bioavailability of
contaminants.
Response not restricted by
predetermined list of contaminants.
Indicates potential effects to sensitive
species or to species of particular
concern.
Performed under controlled test
conditions (i.e., minimizes natural
variability).
Not dependent on the presence of
any particular in-situ population.
Spatial resolution of toxicity test
results is better than for most other
assessment approaches.
Many have well-developed and
widely accepted protocols.
They are quick and relatively
inexpensive.
Disadvantages
Not designed to mimic natural
exposure, so may be difficult to relate
directly to actual responses at a site.
Response not necessarily directly
related to specific contaminant(s).
If test organisms do not naturally
occur at the site it may be difficult to
relate effects on test organisms to
organisms occurring naturally at the
site being tested.
Tests are difficult to perform correctly
by inexperienced laboratories.
Not surrogates for determining
population changes.
Not appropriate for contaminants that
cause subtle effects over long periods,
or for those where the major concern
lies in their potential to
bioaccumulate or biomagnify.
May observe toxicity in unexpected
places (i.e., 'clean' sites) due to
unknown or unquantified factors.
Disadvantages of Toxicity Testing
The principal disadvantage of toxicity tests is that while they may be a good measure of the
potential for adverse environmental effects, they are rarely designed to precisely mimic
natural exposure. As a result it may be difficult to relate the results directly to actual
3-3 August 1997