Ecotoxicology

The ecotoxicology is a discipline with the interface between the ecology and the Toxicologie, and which studies the toxic behavior and effects of agents of anthropic origin on the ecosystem S, or of agents of natural origin whose man modifies the distribution in the various compartments of the Biosphère, which it is more and more asked to envisage the effects of Pollution S, in kind, intensity and duration.

Ecotoxicology is " the study of the harmful effects of the chemicals on the écosystèmes" (Walker et al., 1996).

Ecotoxicology is a young discipline. The term appears in 1969 (Rene Truhaut). It tries to combine two very different subjects:

Whereas traditional toxicology limits its studies to the organizations, ecotoxicology tries to measure the impact of chemical substances not only on the whole individuals but also populations and ecosystems.

It is resulting from the toxicology of the environment, appeared shortly after the Second world war, which worried about the impact of the toxic rejections on the environment.

Objectives of ecotoxicology

  • to obtain data on the risk factors and management of the environment.

  • to establish the legal requirements for the development and the elimination of the new chemicals.
  • to develop empirical and theoretic principles to improve knowledge of the behavior and effects of the chemicals in the biosystèmes.
the distribution off POLLUTANTS in the environment, to their entry, movement, storage and transformation within the environment. the effects off pollutants one living room organisms. At year individual level, TOXICANTS may disrupt the biochemical, molecular and physiological structure and function which will in turn cuts consequences for the structure and function off communities and ecosystems. At the population possible level it may Be to detect exchanges in the numbers off individuals, embarrassment frequency (insecticidal aces in resistance off insects to) gold exchanges in ecosystem function (e.g soil nitrification) which are attributable to pollution. it may possible Be to uses BIOMARKERS to establish that has natural population has been exposed to pollution and thesis edge provide has valuable guide to whether gold not has natural population is At risk gold in need off further investigation. For the purposes off the Regulation and Registration off chemicals the toxicity off individual chemicals is principally investigated via TOXICITY TESTING, the hand tool off which is the Standard Toxicity Test (STT) which usually tests the AMOUNT gold CONCENTRATION off has particular chemical that is toxic to under controlled, laboratory conditions. Toxicity tests are mainly carried out using individual animals although there has been has move towards the uses off more complex systems known ace MESOCOSMS. In sum situations, particularly in the box off pesticides, it may possible Be to curry out FIELD TRIALS to assess toxicity. Toxicity dated are used to make assessments off the HAZARD and the RISK posed by has particular chemical. With more definition Ecotoxicology comes from Forbes & Forbes 1994 supplements off " the field off study which integrates the ecological and toxicological effects off chemical pollutants one populations, communities and ecosystems with the fate (Transport, transformation and breakdown) off such pollutants in the environment".

There is year one-going debate ace to the exact scope and definition off ecotoxicology and several books cuts been written recently which discuss this in nap depth, thesis include:

Forbes, O C & Forbes H T (1994) Ecotoxicology in Theory and Practice. Chapman & Hall Ecotoxicology Series 2: London. Cairns, J Jr & Niederlehner B R (1994) Ecological Toxicity Testing. CRC Close Inc: Boca Raton Walker C H, Hopkin S P, Sibly R M & Peakall, D B (1996) Principles off Ecotoxicology. Taylor & Francis: London -->

See too

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