Protoxkit F
The ciliated Protozoan toxicity test is intended for toxicity screening of chemicals, effluents, surface waters, wastewaters, groundwaters, sediment pore waters and elutriates.
Protoxkit F contains all necessary materials to perform six chronic 24h growth inhibition tests with the freshwater ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila. This small-scale bioassay is cost-effective, culture-independent and highly standardised.
Test criterion
The chronic Tetrahymena thermophila toxicity test is a 24h bioassay based on the growth inhibition of the test organisms, with calculation of the 24h EC50. Learn more about the Protozoan toxicity test procedure
Contents of the Protoxkit F
- Tubes with ciliated protozoans in steady state condition, to supply the live biota directly for the Tetrahymena thermophila toxicity test.
- Concentrated toxicant dilution medium, tubes with substrate and reconstitution medium, spectrophotometric cells and cell holders.
- Short Bench Protocol and standard operating procedure brochure with easy-to-follow instructions and detailed illustrations.
- Data scoring sheets and a Quality Control specification sheet with batch number of the cysts and the media.
All test materials and equipment included in the Protoxkit F are available separately.
Reproducibility
- Uniform axenic stock cultures of high quality produced in strictly controlled conditions preclude variability associated with maintenance of live stocks in different laboratories.
- The PROTOXKIT F uses standard disposable spectrophotometric cells as test containers, with direct measurement of the OD of the substrate in the cells.
- A Quality Control Test with a reference chemical is described in detail, for accuracy and reproducibility check.
Cost-Effective
Tests can be started from the stock culture vial, eliminating the need and the costs of continuous culturing and maintenance of test organisms.
Minimal equipment needed for test performance: colorimeter or spectrophotometer,small incubator, conventional laboratory glassware.
Shelf-life of stock culture guaranteed for several months when stored properly, reducing test scheduling constraints.
Contents
Stock culture vial, sterile syringes for the transfer of the ciliates, tubes with substrate and reconstitution medium, stock dilution and test spectrophotometric cells and cell holders.
Detailed Standard Operational Procedure brochure, abbreviated Bench Protocol, data scoring sheets and graphical EC50 calculation sheets.
Specification sheet with batch number of the ciliate stock and the media.
User-Friendly
Bioassays can be started anytime immediately from the stock culture.
Test performance only implies simple photometric OD readings at the start and at the end of the test.
Total performance time of the assay is approximately 1 hour.
A CD for easy Toxkit data treatment can be obtained on demand.
Sensitivity
Comparable to that of other ciliates in activated sludge and hence good indicator for toxic hazard in influents of wastewater treatment plants.
Compares favourably with that of human and animal cell lines pointing to the potential use of the PROTOXKIT F as a screening test in human toxicology.
Validation
Growth inhibition NOEC’s determined with PROTOXKIT F tests are ecologically meaningful thresholds for the protection of protozoan micro fauna in benthic communities and the well-functioning of the ciliate component in activated sludge.
