Human and animal cell cultures were evaluated for their susceptibility to two environmental toxins found as contaminants in human food supplies: aflatoxin B1, a hepatotoxin produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, and saxitoxin, a paralytic neurotoxin produced by the marine dinoflagellate Gonyaulax catenella. Both toxins cause food poisoning in humans and other animals. The acute cytotoxicity of both toxins was measured and compared by inhibition of cell growth and by progressive cytopathogenicity resulting in cell destruction. Aflatoxin B1 was cytotoxic to all of the 11 primary kidney cultures derived from susceptible animals. The cell growth inhibition 10% values (TD10) ranged from 0.02 to 6.0 micrograms/ml: mouse (TD10 = 0.02 micrograms), guinea pig (0.03 micrograms), rat (0.07 micrograms), hamster (0.16 micrograms), monkey (0.1 microgram), human (0.7-1.5 micrograms), chick (0.05 micrograms), and duck (6.0 micrograms). The corresponding TD50 levels were about 10 times higher concentrations and caused cell destruction within 2 d. Saxitoxin did not induce cytotoxicity manifestations in cultures derived from susceptible species--mouse kidney, human carcinoma HeLa line, chick embryo, and goldfish fin (CAR) cell line--at high concentration levels up to 5 micrograms/ml. When the same toxin preparation at only 1 microgram was injected into mice, the animals died immediately. The results indicate that animal cell cultures are useful for studies of general cytotoxins that affect common essential metabolism but cannot be used to detect environmental toxins that cause toxic manifestations by an interference with specific physiological functions of organ systems.