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In the present study, Chiamydomonas reinhardtii was chosen as a representative green microalga to clarify the effect of copper, zinc, cadmium, and mercury on different parameters (growth, photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll a and the photosynthetic parameter ΦM) and to evaluate the potential application of bbe algae toximeter in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution. The results indicate that the inhibitory effects of the Cd, Cu, Hg and Zn to C. reinhardtii varied significantly and the content of cholorophyll a was the most sensitive indicator parameter in the toxicity experiment of C. reinhardtii. Although ΦM was the least sensitive one, concentrations (mgfL) of heavy metal (inhibition = 50%, time = 2h) from toxicity experiments were the closest to those from bbe algae toximeter. This study tried to use bbe algae toximeter filled with C. reinhardtii to monitor the pollution of some heavy metals but the results seemed not so satisfactory because the in- hibition concentrations were still above the environmental quality standards for surface water in China, although it is possible to use the alga as bioindicator of serious heavy metal pollution (e.g. effluents from mines). Maybe future work is still needed to select a more sensitive alga or to optimize the toximeter like adding a concentration device to the toximeter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]