Applications of flow cytometry to ecotoxicity testing using microalgae

Flow cytometry is a rapid method for the quantitative measurement of light scattering and fluorescent properties of cells. Although this technique has been widely applied to biomedical and environmental studies, its potential as a tool in ecotoxicological studies has not yet been fully exploited. This article describes the application of flow cytometry to the development of bioassays with marine and freshwater algae for assessing the bioavailability of contaminants in waters and sediments.