Importance Of Biomonitoring - the radiation leak at Fukushima Radiation Plant. [by Prof. Dr. Noor Azhar Sazali, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu]

1. A bioindicator organism responds to all environmental parameters surrounding it and is affected in different ways depending on the parameters concerned.

2. Effects of multiple pollutants on single organisms can be determine whereas using machine is costly and sometimes only limited to single pollutant detection at a time.

3. Early warning system. Certain organism is more sensitve to certain pollutants. Exm: fish swim ashore when tsunami approach.

4. Major component of bioassessment evaluation: 1)determine organisms exposed to stressors. 2) determine its effect to organisms. 3) conduct risk assessment experiment.

5. Criteria for selecting bioindicators: *relevance*sensitivity*specitivity*broad applicability*representativeness*variability*cost.

6. Potential uses of bioindicators:
-indicate contaminant exposure.
-identify toxic mecha.