New procedures for the toxicity testing of oil slick dispersants in the United Kingdom

Under the Dumping at Sea Act 1974 the use of oil slick dispersants requres a licence from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in England and Wales. These licences are issued or refused on the basis of tests to assess the toxicity of the dispersant when used at sea or on beaches. This paper describes the rationale behind the development of the two toxicity tests used, together with the test methods adopted and the results of the tests.