Aquatic toxicity tests for the control of effluent discharges in the UK - The influence of test precision

The initiative by the River Purification Boards (RPBs), National Rivers Authority (NRA) and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP) to control certain complex and toxic effluent discharges by direct toxicity assessment places great emphasis on the use of aquatic toxicity tests, Like all biological and analytical measurements, determinations of toxicity exhibit variability, When setting 'Toxicity-based Consents' (TBCs) and monitoring for compliance with such consents, it is important to understand and if possible control this variability. The implications of toxicity test variability for the way TBCs may be set and monitored are discussed; including a consideration of monitoring consents based on a single exposure concentration (limit) test and procedures involving a range of exposure concentrations (concentration-response test). We also review the precision of data arising from acute aquatic toxicity test methods which may be used for the control and monitoring of complex effluents in the UK. This includes the variability that occurs when repeated tests are carried out on different occasions within the same laboratory (repeatability) and also within different laboratories (reproducibility). Particular attention is given to acute tests using Daphnia magna, the only method for which there is a large amount of published information on the precision of toxicity data.