Microbial test combination with Vibrio fischeri as a screening toxicity test

Two different microbial toxicity tests were investigated concerning the possibility to reduce animal experiments in product testing. In the acute bioluminescence test the inhibition of the bacterial luminescence was measured. In the chronic DMS test the inhibition of the microbial metabolism of DMSO to DMS was recorded. The combination of both tests with the same organism Vibrio fischeri enhances the power as a toxicological indicator. We used well known alcohols and tensides. For 15 substances, the correlation between the experimental results and the Draize eye irritation test (rs = 0,943) and the intravenous toxicity (rs = 0,958) was statistically significant. If both tests gave EC50-values >10000mg/L, the substance could be categorised as non or mild toxic. If the EC50-values were