English 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.
