[Use of fish cell cultures for toxicity determination in order to reduce and replace the fish tests]

Dispersion of liver tissue from rainbow trout at 10 and 25 degrees C resultet in cells which were cultivated in vitro at 20 degrees C regularly. Using this method a cell line (R1) has been established useful for testing the toxicity of chemical substances and waste water. The toxicity of samples influenced the morphology, growth and the living duration of the cells. These parameters gave a clear answer about the toxicity of samples testet in 1-12 h. The tests on the vitality of cells (using trypan blue) and the release of LDH did not show an agreement with the cytotoxicity in all cases. From 106 samples of waste water were 53.8% cytotoxic but only 35% showed a toxicity for fish. 93.44% of 61 toxic samples of waste water showed cytotoxicity, only 60.65% of the samples were fish-toxic. According to the results obtained it is concluded that fish cell tissue cultures are useful tools for determination of the toxicity of chemical substances and waste water. Compared with the fish test the cytotoxicity test ist more sensitive and it reduces the material, time and money needed.