Abstract |
The phytotoxicity method is a screening test used to predict the potential impact of chemicals on seed germination and early seedling growth. An evaluation of the procedure was conducted in order to establish the data quality that could be achieved within a single laboratory and to provide a basis for deciding whether or not the procedure merits collaborative testing. The tomato plant Lycopersicon esculentum was used during the evaluation and an insecticide, sodium pentachlorophenate, was prepared for use as a reference material. The single laboratory evaluation included identification of procedural variables that must be carefully controlled (ruggedness testing), evaluation of method precision, evaluation of method sensitivity, and identification of the limits of reliable measurements. |