Standardisation for sediment test with gammarids

Chemicals that can accumulate in sediments must be tested for their toxicity to sediment organisms as part of the authorisation process. There are currently only few OECD guidelines available for testing sediment-bound chemicals: a test with chironomids is most commonly used for this purpose (Test No. 218: Sediment-Water Chironomid Toxicity Using Spiked Sediment). For a detailed risk assessment, additional test methods with more sensitive species such as amphipods are required.

An OECD test guideline for amphipods is currently under validation through an interlaboratory assay (“Sediment-Water Amphipod Toxicity Test Using Spiked Sediment”, Project 2.68). The test guideline proposal focuses on the North-American amphipod Hyalella azteca but also includes the possibility to use alternative species. The Ecotox Centre in Lausanne is therefore collaborating on the OECD standardisation of the sediment toxicity test with the amphipod Gammarus sp. which is endemic to European rivers.