3 recent articles, environmental science, available online free, 2016-2017, with links,
non-animal testing, water quality improvement, water self-purification,
https://5bio5.blogspot.com/2018/07/3_5.html
non-animal testing, water quality improvement, water self-purification,
https://5bio5.blogspot.com/2018/07/3_5.html
full text: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316990949; Ostroumov S.A. Toxicity testing of chemicals without use of animals // Russian Journal of General Chemistry. 2016, 86(13): 2933-2941. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314487253; DOI: 10.1134/S1070363216130028; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314487253; A series of publications on the studies of phytotoxicity of chemicals (pollutants, ecotoxicants), carried out by the author and his research group, have been reviewed. Tests (bioassays) based on experiments with many higher plant species, both terrestrial and aquatic ones (macrophytes), were used in these studies. Among the chemicals tested there were various organic (synthetic detergents, surfactants, and pesticides) and some inorganic (e.g., metal oxide nanoparticles) compounds. New methods for bioassay using plant species never used before have been developed by the author. New facts of phytotoxicity of a synthetic detergent have been discovered and reported. Specifically, an aqueous solution of liquid detergent Frosch (Werner & Mertz, FRG) at a concentration of 0.25 mL/L (and higher concentrations) inhibited the elongation rate of seedlings of Lens culinaris higher plant species. Also, phytotoxicity of synthetic cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide has been reported for the first time. This surfactant at a concentration of 4 mg/L inhibited the elongation of Lens culinaris plant seedlings. The phytotesting methods contribute to the development of alternative approaches to studying the toxicity of chemicals through non-animal testing.
Full text is here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323122008; ; General principles of the theory of polyfunctional role of biota in self-purification of water in aquatic ecosystems have been formulated. The theory includes the following elements: (1) energy sources for self-purification of aquatic ecosystems; (2) main functional units of the self-purification system; (3) main selfpurification processes; (4) contributions of major taxa to self-purification of aquatic ecosystems; (5) reliability of the system and mechanisms ensuring it; (6) self-regulation of biota; (7) response of the system to external stimuli (impacts); (8) analogy between an ecosystem and a bioreactor; (9) conclusions for nature conservation practice. The theory covers both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
