Abstract

A bioassay with the groundwater copepod Parastenocaris germanica has been applied to study toxic effects caused by contaminated groundwater. Groundwater samples from three localities contaminated with volatile compounds, heavy metals and waste disposal percolate have been taken. Test animals were exposed in vitro and the mortality was recorded over 11 days. Several practical problems were encountered making reliability of exposure feebly. In two cases effects were related to the hydrological distance of the source of contamination. No unequivocal relationships of effects with known levels of pollutants were found. Good correlation has been found between aluminium, released through acidification, and mortality of test animals. Recommendations have been made for further development of groundwater bioassay methods.