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Supply of tropical toxicity test organisms and training in associated testing procedures

Toxicity test procedures that follow fully developed and documented protocols are carried out using a range of aquatic species representative of many freshwater ecosystems across the wet-dry tropics of Australia and south-east Asia. The organisms are cultured and reared in aquaculture facilities or in the laboratory. Tropical toxicity testing organisms and training in associated testing procedures may be supplied to other laboratories on a full cost-recovery basis. However, the recipient must enter into a formal agreement with the Supervising Scientist Division that outlines the purposes for which the organisms may be used.

Opportunity to obtain tropical freshwater toxicity testing organisms

The Supervising Scientist Division’s (SSD) Ecotoxicology Group has developed toxicity testing protocols using five tropical freshwater organisms. These species are primarily used for assessing potential ecological impacts from Ranger uranium mine, however, they have also been used on a commercial basis to undertake Direct Toxicity Assessments for industries discharging to tropical Australian freshwaters. With the Northern Territory Government including ecotoxicity testing in the Waste Discharge Licences of local industries, the need for commercial ecotoxicity testing using tropical organisms now exceeds the capacity of the SSD laboratories. An opportunity, therefore, exists for commercial ecotoxicology laboratories to obtain starter cultures of the five toxicity testing organisms routinely used at the SSD to extend their capacity to meet the needs of northern Australia.

Species

Five species from four taxonomic groups are being offered free of charge:

• Green alga – Chlorella sp.
• Duckweed – Lemna aequinoctialis
• Green hydra – Hydra viridissima
• Cladoceran – Moinodaphnia macleayi
• Northern trout gudgeon – Mogurnda mogurnda

• Testing protocols for these species are published and available on our publications page.

Further information on the culture and maintenance of these organisms is available in the Ecotoxicology Program Laboratory Manual (available on request). Training by SSD staff would be made available on a full cost-recovery basis depending on staff availability.

Eligibility

The recipients must already have established facilities for the conduct of commercial ecotoxicological testing.

As the organisms were originally sourced from Commonwealth Lands the recipient must enter into a formal agreement with SSD that outlines the terms and conditions under which the organisms may be used.

Contact

Please contact Alicia Hogan or Rick van Dam for further information.

alicia.hogan@environment.gov.au 08 8920 1163 (Mon-Wed)
rick.vandam@environment.gov.au 08 8920 1175 (Mon-Fri)

Find out more

• Commercial services
• Tropical aquatic ecotoxicology