Sediment toxicity tests using two species in sediment toxicity testing.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the quality of sediments from Mar Piccolo basin (Ionian sea, Southern Italy), to obtain information about correlations between metal contamination of sediment and toxicological effects in benthic organisms The amphipods G. aequicauda and C. insidiosum were selected for this study because preliminary tests demonstrated their tolerance to non-contaminant variables (biotic and abiotic) and sensitivity to reference toxicants. The results of this study confirmed that these species may be suitable for use in sediment bioassays in order to attain valuable conclusions to be applied in global scale biomonitoring programs. Findings from the current study will have implications for future developments in ecotoxicological testing with these species.