The first bioassays for environmental monitoring were based on multicellular eukaryotic organisms, in particular fish and mammals. Because they were relatively expensive, time consuming and difficult, there was a need for alternative biological monitoring methods. It became necessary to develop and standardize toxicity tests based on prokaryotic (bacteria) or eukaryotic (protozoa, unicellular algae, yeast) microorganisms instead of higher organisms, which made it possible to quickly and inexpensively screen environmental samples for toxic and genotoxic effects. The first generation of bioassays was based on a variety of naturally sensitive microbes, while the second generation includes genetically modified microorganisms to achieve greater sensitivity and / or specificity. The next step forward was the combination of microbial cells, or parts of cells, with physicochemical detection elements, forming new integrated devices called "biosensors". The purpose of the research is to study the possibility of using microorganisms in bioindication of environmental pollution. The use of biological methods in environmental monitoring is essential to complement chemical analyzes with information on actual toxicity. Microorganisms are widely used as test objects for analyzes due to the simplicity and low cost of their cultivation. The use of microorganisms for the assessment of general toxicity or the detection of specific compounds is an important source of information on the state of the environment. Their use will significantly expand the range of environmental studies.
The use of respirometry for the evalutation of an industial wastewater toxicity over activated sludge