Environmental Inquiry


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Bioassays
Bioassays are experiments that use living things to test the toxicity of chemicals. Students can use bioassays to conduct a wide range of experiments relating to toxicity of known chemical solutions or unknown mixtures such as samples of water, sediment, or soil from the environment.

Bioassay Resources
Background Information	What are bioassays? How are they used? Some tips for planning an experiment
Bioassay Experiments	Lettuce Seed Bioassays Daphnia Bioassays Duckweed Bioassays
Peer Review	Participate in peer review and exchange feedback with other students who have carried out bioassay experiments.
Message Board	Read or post questions, comments, or answers on the discussion board.
Research Challenges	Research Challenge #1: What are the best conditions for lettuce seed germination and growth? Research Challenge #2: What are the environmental impacts of road de-icing? Research Challenge #3: Is seed germination affected by herbicide residues in soil?
Published Bioassay Reports	Read reports that have been published through the EI peer review system.
More Information	For more information on student bioassay experiments, read about our book, Assessing Toxic Risk or visit our page on bioassay links.