Encapsulated Fish Cells for Toxicity Testing

Acute fish lethality tests have been used to test the toxicity of effluents. Recently, consideration of animal welfare has increasingly questioned this method of toxicity testing and stimulated efforts to develop various alternatives. One potential alternative is fish embryo testing, however this method is very expensive and difficult to use. It requires heavy manpower as well as maintaining major aquaria facilities to breed the fish. Another potential alternative are fish cell lines. Despite the studies, to this day, fish cell line tests have not been implemented in practice. However recent advances in cell line availability, culturing and monitoring, as well as in the sample preparation, are in new support for this possibility.

The Laurier researcher has long been studying the development and characterization of fish cell lines. She has also developed a new cell line from liver called RTL-W1. Her studies have shown that fish cell line test can be even more sensitive than other fish tests and hence is a very good alternative to acute fish lethality test. A biomonitoring tool based on fish cell line test is proposed which can perform the toxicity tests at the site, something that can not be done with other tests. This tool is in the form of a macroencapsulated device filled with fish cell lines. It is inexpensive and easy to use and do not have the problems associated with other kinds of fish tests.

Wilfrid Laurier University is soliciting for sponsored research collaboration agreements to further explore additional applications and improvements of this technology.