The acute bioluminescence inhibition assay using the marine bacterium Vihrio fischeri as the test organism is a widely used short term toxicity test. This paper compares the standard 30 minutes test with a 24 h assay using the same organism and the same test parameter. For that purpose concentration-response relationships were determined for a set of selected substances, reflecting different modes and mechanisms of action.

The results indicate a severe blind spot of the acute biotest: The toxicity of certain specifically acting chemicals is drastically underestimated here, while the chronic biotest gives a more reliable estimate of the toxicity of these substances.