ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with a survey of the various enzymatic and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assays used to screen for the toxicity of chemicals in aquatic environments. Most of the ATPases are membrane-bound and are mainly involved in high energy metabolic transformations and ion movement in cells. B. Riedel and G. Christensen were the only investigators to propose an in vitro ATPase assay for testing chemical toxicity in the aquatic environment. A biochemical test is one which is based on the measurement of the activity of specific microbial enzymes or the amount of specific metabolic products of microorganisms. The efficiency of sewage treatment plants is traditionally measured using a series of tests such as biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, mixed liquor suspended solids, and sludge age. Toxicity tests using Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride reduction have been developed mainly for activated sludge systems.
