Selecting a battery of bioassays for ecotoxicological characterization of wastes Pascal Pandard a, ⁎ , James Devillers b , Anne-Marie Charissou c , Véronique Poulsen a , Marie-José Jourdain c , Jean-François Férard d , Cécile Grand e , Antonio Bispo e a INERIS, Parc Technologique Alata, BP 2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France b CTIS, 3 Chemin de la Gravière, 69140 Rillieux La Pape, France c IRH Environnement, 11bis, rue Gabriel Péri, BP 286, 54515 Vandoeuvre Lès Nancy, France d Laboratoire Ecotoxicité et Santé Environnementale, CNRS UMR 7146, UFR Sci.F.A., Université Paul Verlaine-Metz, Campus Bridoux, Rue du Général Delestraint, 57070 Metz, France e ADEME (French Agency for Environment and Energy Management), 2 square La Fayette, BP 90406, 49004 Angers Cedex 01, France Received 20 July 2005; received in revised form 6 December 2005; accepted 16 December 2005 Available online 20 March 2006 Abstract This study was conducted in France within the context of waste classification (Hazardous Waste Council Directive 91/689/ EEC), and focused on “ecotoxic” property (H14). In 1998, an experimental test strategy was developed to assess ecotoxicological properties of wastes using a battery of six standardized bioassays. This combined direct and indirect approaches integrating two solid-phase tests: emergence and growth inhibition of Lactuca sativa (14 days), mortality of Eisenia fetida (14 days) and four standardized tests performed on water extracts from wastes: growth inhibition of Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (3 days), inhibition of mobility of Daphnia magna (48 h), inhibition of reproduction of Ceriodaphnia dubia (7 days), inhibition of light emission of Vibrio fischeri (30 min). This study aimed to set up preliminary conclusions on relevancy of this experimental test strategy, based on data obtained since 1998. Results were analyzed from the combined use of Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Principal Component Analysis and Nonlinear Mapping. These multivariate analyses clearly showed that it was possible to reduce this number of tests without changing the typology of the wastes. A battery of bioassays including one solid phase test and two tests performed on water extracts (L. sativa, V. fischeri and C. dubia) was found as an optimal solution for characterizing the toxicity of the studied wastes. This optimal battery represents a good basis for determining the H14 property. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Ecotoxicity; Bioassay; Waste; Hazard; Test battery; Multivariate analyses 1. Introduction The management of urban and industrial wastes has become a high priority. The quantity of wastes produced regularly increases with the standard of living of populations. The landfilling of wastes, which still Science of the Total Environment 363 (2006) 114 – 125 www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 3 44 55 67 19; fax: +33 3 44 55 67 67. E-mail address: pascal.pandard@ineris.fr (P. Pandard). 0048-9697/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2005.12.016