Environmental Toxicology

Environmental toxicology investigates the adverse effects caused by natural and synthetic pollutants in all living organisms of ecosystems and at all levels of biological organization from molecules via cells, tissues, and individual organisms up to population, community, and ecosystem levels. In doing so, it includes ecological processes, i.e., the interrelationship of organisms and their interaction with the environment. The overall goal of environmental toxicology is a better understanding of the processes of toxic substances and their effects within the environment in order to derive useful measures. With industrialization and the increasing production of new chemicals, as well as the recurring occurrence of disasters caused by man-made pollutants, the relevance of environmental toxicology continues to increase. This chapter focuses on ecotoxicity testing since the results of ecotoxicity tests are the decision-making basis for threshold values and legal regulations. After an overview of ecotoxicological tests, criteria to be considered when conducting tests are described and the limits and expressive power of ecotoxicological tests are discussed. Additionally, this chapter summarizes the different approaches of bioindication and environmental monitoring as well as environmental screening methods and briefly introduces the steps associated with ecotoxicological risk assessment. Finally, three examples, i.e., the analgesic diclofenac, endocrine disruptors, and antibiotics, illustrate the significance of pharmaceuticals and their effects on the environment.