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Chapter 42 - Methods in Environmental Toxicology
Citation:
Fairbrother, A., M. Barron, AND M. Johnson. Chapter 42 - Methods in Environmental Toxicology. Chapter 42, CRC Press (ed.), Hayes' Principles and Methods of Toxicology. CRC Press - Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, Boca Raton, FL, , 2029-2071, (2014).
Impact/Purpose:
Describe methods used in environmental toxicity evaluations and ecological risk assessments
Description:
Testing of chemicals for their toxic effects traditionally focused on safety and effects in humans using surrogate species. Beginning in the 1960’s, the recognition that chemicals in the environment can have effects on non-human receptors has led to the emergence of the subdiscipline of ecotoxicology. Subsequently, testing protocols with a wide range of surrogate species have been established to address questions of thresholds of toxic effects and mechanisms. By expanding the number of species tested in assessing the toxicology of a chemical, we are able to predict and diagnose possible adverse environmental effects and also gain considerable insight into a toxicant’s mechanism of action, organ-specific toxicity, and acute and long term effects. Field protocols emphasize methods and indicators for determining the consequences of chemical exposure on species and their populations. In this chapter, we provide principles and examples of laboratory and field protocols that have been developed to understand the effects of chemicals in the environment.