Use of luminescence-marked bacteria to assess copper bioavailability in malt whisky distillery effluent

Samples were taken from upstream, influent, effluent, and downstream locations of a whisky distillery in north east Scotland, and the concentration of inorganic pollutants determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The principal contaminant was found to be Cu, and three bioluminescence based microbial bioassays were carved out to assess the bioavailability of Cu. One assay involved standard use of a naturally luminescent marine bacterium and two involved use of genetically modified (luminescence-marked) terrestrial bacteria. Use of the luminescence-marked biosensors was found to be the most sensitive and reproducible, offering assessment of toxicity over a wide pH range.