Reproducibility
¡¤ Algal beads of high quality produced in strictly controlled conditions preclude variability associated with recruitment/ maintenance of livestock¡¯s of microalgae in exponential growth phase, in conventional bioassays.
¡¤ Highly uniform quality of the test medium is achieved by simple dilution of Concentra-ted solutions of selected chemicals, with deionizer water.
¡¤ Standardized ¡°long cell¡± test containers (10 cm path length) constructed of biologically inert materials ensure uniform exposure conditions.
A Quality Control Test with a reference chemical is described in detail, for accuracy and reproducibility check.
Cost-Effectiveness
The ALGALTOXKIT makes use of unique disposable ¡°long cell¡± exposure chambers (10 cm path length), which also serve as measuring curettes for direct determination of algal growth by optical density measurements.
Labour time for testing is significantly reduced by the direct measurement of algal growth in the long cells in a (suited) spectrophotometer.
Shelf-life of the algal beads is guaranteed for several months when stored properly, reducing test scheduling constraints
Contents
¡¤ Tubes with algal beads, concentrated algal growth and toxicant dilution medium, long cells and holding trays.
¡¤ Detailed Standard Operational Procedure brochure, abbreviated Bench Protocol, OD/N regression sheet, data scoring sheets and graphical EC50 calculation sheets.
¡¤ Specification sheet with batch number of the algal beads and the media.
User-Friendliness
¡¤ Bioassays can be started within 30 min. from the ¡°de-immobilization¡± of the microalgae from the beads
¡¤ Simple handlings and scorings
¡¤ Daily scoring of the optical density of the microalgae in the long cells takes less than 15 min.
¡¤ A floppy disc for easy Toxkit data treatment can be obtained on demand.
Sensitivity
¡¤ Comparable to the sensitivity of the algal growth inhibition test with microalgae from laboratory cultures.
Validation
¡¤ The ALGALTOXKIT is used in many laboratories worldwide for routine screening of chemicals and environmental samples¡¤
Substantial number of publications reporting data for various uses.
¡¤ The ALGALTOXKIT microbiotest strictly adheres to the protocols for regulatory testing with microalgae, prescribed by international organizations such as e.g. the OECD and the ISO.