Biological monitoring part I—Early warning systems

One aspect of biological monitoring is the use of aquatic organisms to provide an early warning of the presence of toxic materials in water. Possible applications of this concept in an industrial situation are to help prevent hazardous waste spills or in a water treatment plant as a check on potable water supplies. This article describes the operational requirements which must be met by a biological toxicity early-warning system and some of the organisms and techniques which have been or may be employed in such systems. An early warning toxicity monitoring system will be considered.