The Lemna Bioassay: Contemporary Issues as the Most Standardized Plant Bioassay for Aquatic Ecotoxicology

The Lemna bioassay is one of the most standardized higher plant bioassays for assessing the impacts of contaminants in aquatic environments. The simple anatomy and ease with which Lemna sp. can be handled makes them ideal test organisms. They have been used to predict the cytotoxic, cytogenetic, and mutagenic effects of several chemical pollutants including, inter alia, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, metalloids, organometallic compounds, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, radionuclides, and pharmaceuticals. However, there is still some contention as to the exact scope of application and definition of the Lemna bioassay regarding its accuracy of prediction and toxicity assessment. In this article, we review some critical issues on the development and effective use of the Lemna bioassay.