Comparison of several microbiological toxicity screening tests

Four short-term microbiological toxicity screening tests were compared using the following test chemicals: 3,5 dichlorophenol, cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, sodium lauryl sulfate, phenol, copper(II) sulfate, mercury(II) chloride and zinc(II) sulfate. These seven chemicals represent a wide range of toxicity. The methods examined were Beckman's Microtox system, the Spirillum volutans motility test, inhibition of respiratory activity of activated sludge, and inhibition of activated sludge TTC-dehydrogenase activity.The results obtained indicate that each method has its own toxicity sensitivity pattern, and among the substances tested, only mercury(II) chloride and phenol were ranked equally by the four methods as the most and the least toxic chemical, respectively. In a tentative ranking of the methods, according to sensitivity, the Microtox test came out as the most sensitive test, followed by the Spirillum test, which in turn appeared more sensitive than the two sludge tests. This ranking has meaning only in a statistical sense, however, and the variable nature of the results support the philosophy that for assessing toxicity more thoroughly, a battery of several tests is required.