Ecotox Services Australia

Ecotoxity testing for the Oil&Gas sector, for both on-shore and off-shore, includes the testing of Produced Formation Waters (PFWs), fresh and weathered crude oils and condensates, including with the application of dispersants, disperants and oil-spill products, drill muds, cutting fluids and cuttings, process chemicals (such and corrosion inhibitors, biocides) and hydraulic fluids. Test organisms may be tropical or temperate, depending on geographic area of most relevance. The sea urchin fertilization test using Heliocidaris tuberculata has consistently proven to be the most sensitive assay for PFWs, crude oils, condensates and dispersants. Ecotox Services will help determine the most appropriate test suit for each application.

Ecotox Services Australia is Australia’s pre-eminent ecotoxicity testing lab in the testing of waste waters and products used in the Australia coal seam gas industry, having worked on all the significant projects in this region. Testing has included the testing of drilling fluids and their constituents (including to determine non-toxic formulations) and CSG waste-waters before and after on-site treatment processes. These assessments used freshwater organisms relevant to the geographic region of concern. Testing of spray-irrigated cuttings have also been assessed using a suite of terrestrial organisms.

Ecotoxicity testing of waste water treatment plants is an important part of our contract ecotoxity testing programme, with thousands of NATA-endorsed tests undertaken for this sector.Effluents may include primary, secondary or tertiary treated effluents, and discharges following advanced wastewater treatment using reverse osmosis and other purification techniques (including waste-brines and product waters). Test organism suites include either freshwater or marine, tropical or temperate, depending on the geographic area of concern. Toxicity Identifiation Evaluation (TIE) studies have also been employed to identify the actual causes of toxicity should toxicity be identified.

Ecotoxity testing is routinely used to assess discharges from mining and mineral processing and refining operations. Examples of test material type include mine waste waters and tailings dam waste-waters, process chemicals, waste leachates and ore leachates. Samples from civil engineering works will include the use of process chemicals such as coagulants and flocculants. Test organism suites include either freshwater or marine, tropical or temperate, depending on the geographic area of concern.

Ecotox Services Australia has undertaken testing of each of the city-scale desalination plants operating in Australia. Testing is undertaken on the waste-brine and well as process chemicals used in membrane and system maintenance, including anti-scaling and corrosion inhibiting agents as well as membrane cleaning and disinfection agents. Waste brines are typically discharged to marine environments, and so a marine testing suite for either tropical or temperate conditions are applied.

The ecotoxicity testing of products and chemicals used in agriculture or industry is generally required by the commonwealth regulators to ensure safe handling and use. Test may need to follow OECD test guidelines, although in Australia latitude is given to use locally relevant test organisms and conditions. Please consult with ESA to determine the most appropriate test types and systems for your application.