Daphnid Data Can Negate the Use of Acute Fish Tests to Assess Neurotoxicants

A new data analysis published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and co-authored by Eawag, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, and PETA Science Consortium International e.V., demonstrates that daphnids are more sensitive to neurotoxicants than fish, with rare exceptions that are no longer relevant to the market. This information addresses an area outside the chemical applicability domain of fish cell and embryo tests for the prediction of acute fish toxicity, which are generally less sensitive to neurotoxicants than the acute fish toxicity test.

The analysis of historical fish and daphnid data from the EnviroTox database, “Daphnids can safeguard the use of alternative bioassays to the acute fish toxicity test: a focus on neurotoxicity,” shows considerable variability in acute fish LC₅₀ and acute daphnids EC₅₀ values and compares the sensitivity of fish and daphnids according to different neurotoxicity classification schemes.

The data analysis demonstrates that the fish acute toxicity test does not provide added value over the Daphnia acute toxicity test, which is usually a standard regulatory data requirement. This research illustrates how the Daphnia acute toxicity test, RTgill-W1 cell line assay, and the fish embryo acute toxicity test can safeguard environmental protection without conducting vertebrate animal testing.