Chronic toxicity evaluation of wastewater treatment plant effluents with bioluminescent bacteria: A comparison with invertebrates and fish

Abstract The use of bioluminescent bacteria in chronic toxicity testing is a potentially useful yet unexplored tool in whole effluent biomonitoring. The purpose of this study was to determine the chronic toxicity of 14 different wastewater treatment plant effluents to Chronic Microtox® bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and a minnow (Pimephales promelas). The invertebrate and fish have been utilized extensively for the evaluation of effluents and in establishing water quality criteria. The results of this study suggest that the 22-h Microtox Chronic Toxicity Test may correlate well with the most sensitive chronic no-observed-effect concentration value of the three-brood C. dubia test.