Biological monitoring and our water resources

Biological monitoring is a means of assessing water quality, or the toxicity of chemicals, employing living organisms as the sensors. Relatively recent environmental regulations have led to the application of biomonitoring techniques by wastewater discharges and chemical manufacturers. Classical approaches to biomonitoring have included the acute bioassay which takes death as the end-point of the test. Recent developments include automated and real time biomonitors which utilize computer technologies for assessing changes in physiological or behavioural parameters to indicate the presence of toxics.