History of Aquatic Toxicology

The history of toxicology provides a fascinating insight not only into the development of the science of toxicology, but also into its changing approach to disease prevention for the protection of public health. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the knowledge about the toxic/healing properties of minerals, plants, and animals that have shaped civilization for thousands of years, toxic substances and their uses is as old as human history. Throughout the ages, the science of toxicology has provided information that has shaped and guided society, laying the foundations for modern toxicology. The science of toxicology has been built sometimes on the findings obtained as a result of basic experiments, sometimes by chance discoveries. This process, which is similar to other branches of science, has required more emphasis as it affects the health of living things in dimensions leading up to death. This chapter examines the development of the discipline of toxicology and its impact on humanity, highlighting key milestones and discoveries related to toxicology. In addition to shedding light on the beginnings of toxicology, it provides a brief overview of the story of aquatic toxicology up to the present day, taking into account the availability of xenobiotics to aquatic life and the characteristics of the aquatic environment that determine the fate of foreign chemicals within the organism.