Tag Archive for: plant tests

Review of the ecotoxicity of boric acid in standard laboratory tests with plants and soil organisms

To verify the sensitivity of ecotoxicological tests, reference substances with known toxicity are regularly tested. Ideally, such substances lack specificity in their mode action, are bioavailable and readily attainable, and their chemical characterisation is cost-effective. Boric acid satisfies these criteria, but has – due to reproductive effects in humans – most recently been characterised as […]

New publication: Extended plant tests for the environmental risk assessment of veterinary pharmaceuticals

Residues of veterinary pharmaceuticals enter the environment via application of manure onto agricultural land, where particularly antibiotics can cause phytotoxicity. Terrestrial plant tests according to OECD test guideline 208 are part of the environmental risk assessment of veterinary pharmaceuticals. However, this standard approach might not be appropriate for veterinary medicinal products forming non-extractable residues or transformation products in manure and manure-amended soil. To assess such products, a new test design including a more realistic exposure scenario via manure application is needed.

Testing and optimisation of ecotoxicological test methods for routine use (ERNTE)

Despite efforts to include ecotoxicological tests as an integral components of the assessment of contaminated land, most decisions regarding soil remediation or natural attenuation monitoring and/or assessment still rely on the results of chemical residue analyses. The German Federal Soil Protection Act (1998) stipulated the protection of natural soil functions, including the function as habitat […]