Chemical safety of aquatic ecosystems: Biological methods of control

A comparative analysis of biological methods for monitoring the toxic properties of water in the context of ensuring the chemical safety of aquatic ecosystems is carried out. The analysis is based on the time scale of response to the toxic impact, possibility of identifying sources of chemical pollution, quantitative assessment of toxicity effects, and sensitivity. The method of bioassaying the genotoxic properties of native (without preliminary treatment) samples of natural and waste water by recording changes in the number of chromosomal aberrations in transplantable mammalian cell cultures is described in detail as the most informative. The sensitivity of the method makes it possible to detect the genotoxic effects of hydrophobic toxicants at a concentration of less than 1 μg/dm 3 . Analysis of ecotoxicological situations in surface water bodies indicates that water-soluble compounds not controlled by hydrochemical monitoring can play a key role in the formation of toxic properties of aquatic media.