A toxicidade em ambientes aquáticos: Discussão e métodos de avalia̧ão

Abstract

Aquatic toxicity tests are assays performed with different aquatic organisms of different ecological organization levels. Such tests are a source of information on the toxicity of a given substance or wastewater under controlled conditions, and they complement the physico-chemical analyses. Moreover, they allow one to evaluate the risks resulting from the presence of toxic substances in the environment. Algae, crustaceans, fishes and bacteria are frequently used in toxicity tests. In this work, we will present the main aspects related to the aquatic toxicity tests and a discussion of their applicability will also be presented.