Ecotoxicology
Ecotoxicology is the environmental science sub-discipline that melds the fields of ecology and toxicology. The word derives from the Greek words eīkos (meaning household), toxicos (meaning poisonous), and logia (meaning study of). Its focus concerns monitoring, investigation and assessment of adverse effects of chemical (and radiological) substances on ecological systems and their biotic components and processes.
Major issues addressed by ecotoxicological studies include chemical substance transport (that is, their movement in the environment), fate (for example, biotransformation), and effects (examples include lethality, endocrine disruption and bioaccumulation) within ecological systems. Biomonitoring is an important tool in ecotoxicology for humans as well as wildlife.
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International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011)
The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. Under the... More »
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Toxic Substances Control Act, United States
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA, 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to screen existing and new chemicals used in... More »
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After Fukushima
SciDev.Net has produced a special Spotlight on "Nuclear Power After Fukushima" on 29 September 2011. SciDev.Net Spotlights are collections of feature, news and opinion... More »
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Polar bears and environmental toxins
Industrial chemicals are being transported from the industrialized world to the Arctic via air and sea currents. Here, the cocktail of environmental toxins is absorbed by the... More »
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Animal testing alternatives
Among different ways that we have learned whether and how a chemical substance (or such physical properties as radiation or gravity) may cause short- or long-term harm... More »
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Heavy metal
A heavy metal is any one of a number of elements that exhibit metallic properties, which includes transition metals lanthanides actinides as well as the metalloids Arsenic and... More »
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NIEHS Strategic Planning: Progress
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has initiated a Strategic Planning process to set the institute's scientific and governance direction for the next... More »
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Environmental Contaminants and Toxicology...
Humans have been producing and releasing environmental contaminants ever since the discovery of fire. Contaminants include both naturally occurring chemicals released in... More »
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Microbiomes and Environmental Health
This article, written by Kellyn S. Betts*, appeared first in Environmental Health Perspectives—the peer-reviewed, open access journal of the National Institute of... More »
Nickel
Last Updated on 2012-05-14 at 21:00
Nickel, with a symbol of Ni, is a silvery shiny, metallic element with an atomic number of 28. It can be hammered into thin sheets, which means it is malleable.... More »
Genetic responses of arctic species to changes in...
Last Updated on 2012-05-07 at 13:26
This is Section 7.3.4 of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment
Lead Author: Terry V. Callaghan; Contributing Authors: Lars Olof Björn, F. Stuart Chapin III,Yuri... More »
Transgenerational effect of antibiotics
Last Updated on 2012-05-01 at 14:26
The study shows a toxic effect across generations—of importance for its potential for cross-generational effects on the fertility of food animals and humans—which... More »
Evaluating low-dose effects of environmental chemicals
Last Updated on 2012-04-26 at 12:50
This Editorial, written by Linda S. Birnbaum*, appeared first in Environmental Health Perspectives—the peer-reviewed, open access journal of the National Institute of... More »
Pesticide
Last Updated on 2012-04-08 at 01:37
A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest.Though often misunderstood to refer only to... More »
Toxic Substances Control Act, United States
Last Updated on 2012-03-28 at 15:04
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA, 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to screen existing and new chemicals used in... More »
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