Table 1.
OECD methods for testing the effects of chemicals on biotic systems
| Compartment | Media | Guideline no. | Guideline title | Principal end point/s | Duration (days) | Recommended species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquatic | Water | 209 | Activated sludge, respiration inhibition test | Respiration rate as oxygen consumption | 0.125 | Activated sludge microbial fauna |
| 201 | Alga, growth inhibition test | Growth inhibition (based on biomass measurements) | 3 | Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Desmodesmus subspicatus, Navicula pelliculosa, Anabaena flos-aquae, Synechococcus leopoliensis | ||
| 221 | Lemna sp. growth inhibition test | Growth rate based on frond number/biomass | 7 | Lemna minor, Lemna gibba | ||
| 202 | Daphnia sp. acute immobilisation test | Immobilisation | 2 | Daphnia magna, Daphnia pulex | ||
| 211 | Daphnia magna reproduction test | Reproduction | 21 | D. magna | ||
| 203 | Fish, acute toxicity test | Survival | 4 | Brachydanio rerio, Pimephales promelas, Cyprinus carpio, Oryzias latipes, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Poecilia reticulata, Lepomis.macrochirus | ||
| 204 | Fish, prolonged toxicity test: 14-day study | Survival | 14 | B. rerio, P. promelas, C. carpio, O. latipes, O. mykiss, P. reticulata, L.macrochirus | ||
| 210 | Fish, early-life stage toxicity test | Hatching, survival, growth (length/weight) | 32–95 | O. mykiss, P.promelas, B.rerio O. latipes, Cyprinodon variegatus (sw) | ||
| 212 | Fish, short-term toxicity test on embryo and sac-fry stages | Hatching, survival, growth (length/weight) | 8–55 | O. mykiss, B.rerio, C. carpio, P. promelas | ||
| 215 | Fish, juvenile growth test | Growth rate | 28 | O. mykiss, B. rerio, O. latipes | ||
| 229 | Fish short term reproduction assay | Egg production, vitellogenin and 2o sexual characteristics | 21 | P. promelas | ||
| 230 | 21-Day fish assay: a short-term screen for oestrogenic and androgenic activity and aromatase inhibition | Vitellogenin and 2o sexual characteristics | 21 | P. promelas, O. latipes, B. rerio | ||
| Sediment | 218/219 | Sediment–water chironomid toxicity using spiked sediment/water | Larval survival and weight, emergence rate | 28–65 | Chironomus riparius, Chironomus dilutus, Chironomus yoshimatsui | |
| 223 | Sediment–water chironomid life-cycle toxicity test using spiked water or spiked sediment | 1st and 2nd generation larval emergence, sex ratio, egg rope production and fertility | 44–100 | C. riparius, C. dilutus, C. yoshimatsui | ||
| 225 | Sediment–water Lumbriculus toxicity test using spiked sediment | Reproduction and biomass | 28 | Lumbriculus variegatus | ||
| Terrestrial | Soil | 216 | Soil microorganisms: nitrogen transformation test | Inhibition of nitrogen transformation | 28–100 | Endemic natural soil microbial fauna |
| 217 | Soil microorganisms: carbon transformation test | Inhibition of respiration | 28–100 | Endemic natural soil microbial fauna | ||
| 208 | Terrestrial plant test: seedling emergence and growth test | Seedling emergence, biomass and shoot height | 14–21 | Various crop and non-crop species (cotyledon and dicotyledon) | ||
| 227 | Terrestrial plant test: vegetative vigour test | Shoot weight, shoot height and mortality | 21–28 | Various crop and non-crop species (cotyledon and dicotyledon) | ||
| 207 | Earthworm, acute toxicity tests | Survival | 14 | Eisenia fetida, Eisenia andrei | ||
| 220 | Enchytraeid reproduction test | Juvenile production and parent survival | 42 | Enchytraeus albidus | ||
| 222 | Earthworm reproduction test (Eisenia fetida/Eisenia andrei) | Juvenile production and parent survival/growth | 56 | E. fetida, E.andrei | ||
| 232 | Collembolan reproduction test in soil | Adult mortality and reproductive output | 14–21 | Folsomia candida, Folsomia fimetaria | ||
| 226 | Predatory mite (Hypoaspis (Geolaelaps) aculeifer) reproduction test in soil | Female survival, reproductive output | 14 | Hypoaspis (Geolaelaps) aculeifer | ||
| Food | 223 | Avian acute oral toxicity test | Survival | 14 | Colinus virginianus, Coturnix japonica, Anas platyrhynchos, Columba livia, Poephila guttata, Melopsittacus undulatus | |
| 223 | Avian reproduction test | Survival, egg production and viability | 140 | C. virginianus, C. japonica, A. platyrhynchos | ||
| Faeces | 228 | Determination of developmental toxicity of a test chemical to dipteran dung flies | Emergence | 13–18 | Scathophaga stercoraria, Musca autumnalis | |
| Sewage sludge | 224 | Determination of the inhibition of the activity of anaerobic bacteria | Inhibition of gas production | 3 | Sewage sludge microbial fauna |