Abstract:
Chlorophyll a fluorescence has the potential to become a valuable ecotoxicological endpoint, which
could be used with a range of aquatic phototrophs. Chlorophyll a fluorescence bioassays have been
applied in the assessment of heavy metals, herbicides, petrochemicals and nutrients. The strengths of
this endpoint are that it is rapid, non-invasive and non-destructive, while the major weakness is the
lack of clear ecological relevance. We provide an overview of chlorophyll a fluorescence applications in
ecotoxicology. We reviewed test conditions, parameters and protocols used to date and found
standardised protocols to be lacking. The most favoured fluorescence parameters were maximum
quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and effective quantum yield ( PSII), microalgae were the most widely used
tested organism, herbicides the most commonly tested toxicant, while most studies lacked a summary
statistic (such as EC50). We recommend future research in aquatic chlorophyll a fluorescence
ecotoxicology focus on standardisation of test protocols and statistical techniques.
