Bewertungskriterien für einen Verhaltensfischtest zur kontinuierlichen Gewässerüberwachung.

Conventional fish flow through chamber tests respond only to massive injury of the animals. For this reason an indication of certain contaminants in sublethal concentrations is often impossible. The multi-parameter fish test described here aims to increase the test sensitivity in the sublethal range. The highly automated system allows to quantify and assess changes in the behaviour patterns of a small shoal of test fishes. The behavioural parameters are measured with the video-processing system "BehavioQuant". The object-related parameters swimming height, covered way, and number of turnings during the measuring cycle are recorded for each animal. As additional criteria the shoaling behaviour of the fishes is quantified and evaluated by the system. Test organisms are golden orfes Leuciscus idus melanotus

Humic material changes effects of terbutylazine on behavior of zebrafish (<em>Brachydanio rerio</em>).

The long-term sublethal toxicity of the triazine herbicide terbutylazine (TBA; 1, 5, 50, 200 &mu;g/l) alone and in presence of dissolved humic material (DHM; 2 mg TOC/l) on zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) has been studied. The effect of the tested substances on behavior were investigated by recording and quantifying their spontaneous locomotor activity using the BehavioQuant&reg; system. Data were analysed by the Hasse diagram technique. For the parameter light-dark-preference, but not for the parameter inconstancy of motility, a clear concentration-effect-relationship for the groups under TBA as well as for the groups under TBA + DHM exposure could be found. Comparing TBA and TBA + DHM treated groups for both test parameters the presence of DHM increased the toxic effect of TBA on zebrafish for the preference and decreased for the motility. The main result is that the preference follows an additive principle, but not the motiliy. Hints for the influence of at least two different mechanisms controlling these behavioral parameters are discussed

Quantifizierung von Verhaltensparametern unter Schadstoffeinwirkung bei Fischen

In the prolonged fish toxicity test (14-28 d) there is an important test criterion for the determination of the LOEC (lowest observed effect concentration) and the NOEC (no observed effect concentration) which is called 'changes in swimming behaviour'. But it is almost impossible to recognize small changes in swimming behaviour in the vicinity of effect threshold concentrations without technical devices, because only conspicuous behaviour changes can be safely observed. For this reason the test design has been combined with quantitative behaviour measurements. The video processing behaviour monitoring apparatus BehavioQuant observed 12 test aquariae, each containing 10 zebrafish. Five concentrations of a compound are tested in comparison with controls, each in 2 parallel sets. The BehavioQuant system calculates up to seven behavioural test parameters from the tracks of each fish and evaluates these data statistically. Four compounds belonging to different structural groups were investigated, using dilutions down to environmentally relevant concentrations. The lowest concentrations with an observed effect on the behaviour are 8 #mu#g/l 3,4-dichloroaniline, 0,5 #mu#g/l bis-tributyltinoxide (TBTO), and 5 #mu#g/l simazine. No effect could be observed with phosphate in concentrations between 10 #mu#g/l and 100 mg/l. In simazine the factor between the LOEC and the LC 50 is about 2000. Thus the quantitative behaviour measurements with BehavioQuant makes the prolonged fish toxicity test (14-28 d) much more sensitive. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RN 8908(94-103) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Oekotoxikologie: Bestandsaufnahme und Perspektiven fuer ein oekosystemares Bewertungskonzept

The identification of measurement parameters with a view to an ecosystem-oriented ecotoxicology should have regard to various levels of aggregation: from sub-cellular and cellular changes to effects on populations and effects at the level of the entire ecosystem. Structural parameters may be distinguished from functional ones. For each of the three sectors: aquatic ecosystems, soil, and plants/atmosphere, the current state of ecotoxicological research is summed up in table form. The first table informs on standards, the second on current research trends, and the third on existing gaps. In the aquatic sector, preferably single-species tests with different end-points of toxicity are standardized. Some standardizations relate to population performances such as oxygen production, oxygen consumption or degradability of organic substances. There is a marked trend for research to move away from single-species tests in the direction of both total systems and suborganic systems. - In the soil sector, all existing ecotoxicological test systems aim to exploit functional parameters at different levels of aggregation. For an ecosystemally oriented ecotoxicology it is necessary to develop new measurement parameters relevant to the structures and functions of ecosystems. In this connection great store is set by new molecular (genetic and serological) and cytometric methods. Furthermore, biological markers of toxic effects or stress at the sub-cellular level like, for instance, the induction of detoxifying enzymes, the SOS system, and metal-fixing proteins need to be included in ecotoxicological research as sensitive action parameters. For this research concept the integration of measuring systems at the different levels of organization is particularly important. The overview on the plant sector shows that there exist as yet no standardized methods and that current research concentrates on the organismic and sub-organismic levels of aggregation. (orig./UWA)Die Erfassung von Messparametern fuer eine oekosystemar orientierte Oekotoxikologie sollte auf verschiedenen Aggregationsniveaus vorgenommen werden: von subzellulaeren und zellulaeren Veraenderungen bis hin zu Wirkungen auf Populationen und auf der Ebene des gesamten Oekosystems. Es kann zwischen Strukturparametern und Funktionsparametern unterschieden werden. Fuer die drei Bereiche Wasser, Boden und Pflanze/Luft ist der Stand oekotoxikologischer Arbeiten in jeweils Tabellen zusammengefasst. Die erste Tabelle gibt einen Ueberblick ueber Normen, die zweite einen ueber den Trend gegenwaertiger Forschungen und die dritte weist auf bestehende Luecken hin. Im Wasserbereich wurden bevorzugt Einzelspezies-Tests mit unterschiedlichen Toxizitaetsendpunkten genormt. Einige Normen beziehen sich auf Populations-Leistungen, wie Sauerstoffproduktion, Sauerstoffzehrung oder Abbaufaehigkeit von organischen Substanzen. Die Forschung verstaerkt sich von Einzelspezies-Tests sowohl in Richtung Gesamtsysteme als auch in Richtung suborganismischer Systeme. Im Bereich Boden sind alle bestehenden oekotoxikologischen Testsysteme auf die Erfassung von Funktionsparametern auf verschiedenen Aggregationsniveaus ausgerichtet. Fuer eine oekosystemar verstandene Oekotoxikologie ist die Entwicklung neuer Messparameter fuer Strukturen und Funktionen von Oekosystemen notwendig. Dabei wird dem Einsatz von neuen molekularen (genetischen und serologischen) und zytometrischen Methoden eine grosse Bedeutung beigemessen. Auch Biomarker fuer toxische Wirkungen bzw. Stress auf subzellulaerer Ebenen, wie die Induktion von detoxierenden Enzymen und des SOS-Systems sowie von metallbindenden Proteinen sind in die oekotoxikologische Forschung als empfindliche Wirkungsparameter einzubeziehen. Besondere Bedeutung in dem Forschungskonzept kommt der Integration von Messsystemen auf den verschiedenen Organisationsebenen zu. (orig./UWA)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RO 2674(1993,40) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman