18 September 2009 -
NERI’s new test contains a species with
sexual reproduction (F. fimetaria), now
allowing a relevant springtail species to
be chosen and tested
upon, selected according to local conditions
such as climate, habitat, or another species
that is especially exposed to the chemical
under study. Small soil-living springtails
have become the most widely used test organisms
after daphnia (small crustaceans) and earthworms.
An environmental test
developed by Denmark’s National Environmental
Research Institute (NERI), Aarhus University,
in collaboration with the Danish Environmental
Protection Agency (DK-EPA) has been approved
and adopted as a test guideline in OECD’s
environmental test program. The test measures
the toxicity of chemicals, including hormone-like
substances, by determining how the substances
affect reproduction of springtails, 1-2
mm long insects that live in abundance in
the upper soil layers.
With adoption of NERI’s
test as test guideline in OECD’s environmental
test program, in reality the test becomes
a global standard, because other countries
outside the 30 OECD countries also use the
organisation’s environmental test guidelines.
The test is the result
of research and development work initiated
in NERI already in 11000. The work has been
supported on the way by the former Strategic
Environmental Research programme, as well
as the DK-EPA, the EU and the Nordic coordination
group for the development of toxicological
and ecotoxicological test methods, Nord-UTTE.
According to senior
researcher Paul Henning Krogh, in NERI,
for example, the test has been used to test
the toxicity of PAHs, sludge, pesticides,
and LAS, found in washing powder.
‘It can also be used to
assess the toxicity of contaminated soil
and to determine the toxicity of plant products
originating from genetically modified plants,’
says Paul Henning Krogh. He is greatly pleased
that OECD has adopted the test.
’We have been interested
in having the test approved by OECD precisely
to gain the greater international acceptance
and dispersal that comes with this. OECD
approving and accepting a test obliges member
states to use it, but in actual fact it
becomes a global test guideline. So it’s
appropriate here to talk about absolute
global knowledge sharing,’ adds Paul Henning
Krogh.
Since NERI’s departmental
head Hans Løkke in 11000 obtained
DK-EPA support to develop the springtail
test together with springtail taxonomist
and ecologist Henning Petersen from Molslaboratoriet,
research and consultancy activities based
on springtails have taken place at NERI.
Senior researcher Janeck
Scott-Fordsmand and Paul Henning Krogh have
prepared the test for OECD together with
the national OECD coordinator for the test
guideline programme at the DK-EPA, Henrik
Tyle. The newest version of the test also
uses species of springtail that reproduce
via sexual reproduction, and this has made
it possible to test the toxicity of hormone-like
substances.
When a desire arises
to use an organism for environmental assessment,
it is necessary to have a standardised test,
otherwise the majority of laboratories are
not be able to perform the test and it would
be more difficult for the environmental
authorities to acquire data. OECD’s standards
contain precise and essential information
based on many years’ development and testing,
which ensures that they are feasible for
use in professional laboratories. A so-called
ring test is also included in this preparatory
work, involving the test being performed
in a range of laboratories. For the springtail
test, this took place in 14 laboratories
all around the world.
