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A Pathway-based Approach to Predicting Interactions between Chemical and Non-chemical Stressors: Applications to Global Climate Change
Citation:
ANKLEY, G. T., D. CRISTOL, M. HOOPER, L. MARYOUNG, P. NOYES, AND K. PINKERTON. A Pathway-based Approach to Predicting Interactions between Chemical and Non-chemical Stressors: Applications to Global Climate Change. Presented at Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Berlin, GERMANY, May 20 - 25, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
A variety of environmental variables influenced by global climate change (GCC) can directly or indirectly affect the health of organisms. These variables may include temperature, salinity, pH, and penetration of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in aquatic environments, and water shortages or alterations in air quality in terrestrial systems. There has been consideration of the direct effects of changes in many of these factors on biota, e.g., the potential influence of temperature on distributions of fish populations. However, far less is known concerning the indirect effects of variables affected by GCC on humans and the environment, including the potential for interactions with toxic chemicals. Recent reviews of the existing literature on the topic have shown that factors such as temperature can indeed greatly influence the toxicity of chemicals in a variety of taxa [1]. But, a critical consideration which becomes apparent when considering these types of analyses is that, other than for a very few species, chemicals and endpoints, the information collected to date concerning the effects of changes in global climate on chemical toxicity is not comprehensive enough to routinely support integrated risk assessments. Hence, there is a need to develop approaches/tools that better enable prediction of potential interactions of chemical toxicants with non-chemical stressors influenced by GCC. To achieve this requires a mechanism-based understanding of the biological pathway(s) through which chemicals exert their effects, and identification of points in these pathways that could be influenced by nonchemical stressors.
Description:
A variety of environmental variables influenced by global climate change (GCC) can directly or indirectly affect the health of organisms. These variables may include temperature, salinity, pH, and penetration of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in aquatic environments, and water shortages or alterations in air quality in terrestrial systems. There has been consideration of the direct effects of changes in many of these factors on biota, e.g., the potential influence of temperature on distributions of fish populations. However, far less is known concerning the indirect effects of variables affected by GCC on humans and the environment, including the potential for interactions with toxic chemicals. Recent reviews of the existing literature on the topic have shown that factors such as temperature can indeed greatly influence the toxicity of chemicals in a variety of taxa [1]. But, a critical consideration which becomes apparent when considering these types of analyses is that, other than for a very few species, chemicals and endpoints, the information collected to date concerning the effects of changes in global climate on chemical toxicity is not comprehensive enough to routinely support integrated risk assessments. Hence, there is a need to develop approaches/tools that better enable prediction of potential interactions of chemical toxicants with non-chemical stressors influenced by GCC. To achieve this requires a mechanism-based understanding of the biological pathway(s) through which chemicals exert their effects, and identification of points in these pathways that could be influenced by nonchemical stressors.