Aquatox Research, Inc. (ARI) offers microbial testing services through Microtox™, a testing technology currently owned by Modern Water (New Castle, DE).
The Microtox toxicity test system exposes luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) to increasingly concentrated solutions of test sample. Reductions in the light output of the luminescent bacteria reflecting the toxicity of the sample are monitored in a temperature-controlled photometer.
Specialized computer software reduces the data generated to estimate a median effective concentration (EC50). Test durations range from 5 to 30 minutes permitting a rapid turnaround of results at highly competitive costs in comparison with invertebrate (e.g. Ceriodaphnia) and fish (Pimephales, fathead minnow) assays.
Applications include, but are not necessarily limited to, wastewater treatment plant pretreatment, individual batch or waste stream and landfill leachate monitoring and quality control testing of raw material lots.