ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the development and evolution of the Microtox test and summarizes some of the important findings from the Microtox literature as well as regulatory and standards achievements. The Microtox test is based on measuring changes in the light emitted by a nonpathogenic naturally luminescent marine bacterium upon exposure to a toxic substance or sample containing toxic materials. The Microtox test is performed by reconstituting freeze-dried reagent and determining the initial light emission of homogenized and stabilized luminescent bacterial suspensions. As a positive outcome of the test methods standardization, there is a general agreement on the types of Microtox protocols that can be used for toxicity assessment of chemicals, wastes, and environmental samples. The Microtox comparative studies have involved the use of over 50 different test organisms, species, and systems, but have focused mainly on the three most common acute lethality bioassays: rainbow trout, fathead minnow, and daphnids.
