PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a detecting method for water quality environments with high sensitivity, which can easily and stably carry out detections for a long period, while keeping the load light which is applied on a living organism used for the detection test. SOLUTION: The detecting method for the water quality environment harmful to shellfishes belonging to bivalves (Bivalvia) is provided with a noncontact sensor, which can detect a magnetic field and is mounted on a half shell of the shellfish belonging to Bivalvia, and a member which generates the magnetic field and is mounted on the other half shell. In the detecting method, the shellfish is brought into contact with sample water, and changes in the opening and closing movements of the shellfish are measured by using the noncontact sensor. The detection method is highly sensitive to even the harmful environment having minor effects on the shellfish, thereby enabling abnormality in the water quality environment to be sensed starting from the early stage of its occurrence. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI
