ABSTRACT
To comprehend the effect of a xenobiotic on the environment, toxicological information is required on all trophic levels that the chemical may come into contact with. It is obvious therefore that for a full toxicological evaluation, primary producers, ie, those organisms converting light into usable energy for higher organisms, must be included. In the aquatic environment, of course, this role is at least partly fulfilled by the algae, and thus there is concern as to how toxicants may affect their viability. Obviously, with these organisms being at the bottom of most food chains, any factor affecting them may affect radically higher trophic levels. Also, it is important to check if algae may act as surrogates of higher species.
