ABSTRACT
Bacterial tests for genotoxic agents are usually classified into three categories: reverse or forward mutagenesis assays, phage induction assays, and DNA repair tests. This chapter focuses on rapid microbial tests of acute toxicity and genotoxicity that may be performed in conjunction with residue analyses to monitor the progress of bioremediation. It describes some measurements on phytotoxicity. The chapter presents some previously unpublished work on the dominance of plasmid-bearing pseudomonads during bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted soil. Under conditions of bioremediation, the onset of carcinogenic activation is faster, but so is the subsequent inactivation as compared with controls with no bioremediation treatment. Numerous investigators reported that a typical response to hydrocarbon pollution of soil was an increase in total microbial numbers and, in particular, an increase in the number of culturable hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms. Measurements of microbial biomass are inherently difficult in soil.
