A rapid toxicological test method with luminous bacteria for laboratory and on-site assessment of wastes and contaminated soils

Comparison between a standard toxicological test with luminous bacteria based on DIN 38 412 L 341, 2 and a rapid test yield similar results. However, the standard deviation of the rapid test was lower than that of the standard test. Costs for material and instruments are low; the test is easy to handle and can be used on site. By appropriate choice of the dilution steps and proper timing by intercalating the individual sets of assays, the overall time required to obtain results can be shortened considerably compared to the standard test. In combination with a recently developed method for aqueous extraction this allows assessment of the risk in contaminated soil on site within 30–45 min. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 3: 329–337, 1999