Ecotoxicology is the scientific discipline that studies the fate and effects of chemical, physical, and biological stressors on organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems in the environment. It integrates toxicology, ecology, environmental chemistry, and risk assessment to quantify exposure, dose–response relationships, and adverse outcome pathways under realistic environmental conditions. Ecotoxicology addresses contaminant transport, transformation, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification across trophic levels, and evaluates sublethal endpoints such as endocrine disruption, behavioral changes, and reproductive impairment. The field underpins environmental quality criteria, ecological risk assessment, and regulatory decision-making for pollutants including pesticides, metals, pharmaceuticals, and emerging contaminants.
Plastic may well be a useful everyday item, but its careless disposal in oceans and inland waterways is a pressing global problem. Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to human health and the health of our planet. ...
Endotoxin, a toxic chemical found in bacteria, makes up only 0.0001% of PM2.5 fine particles but packs a serious punch when it comes to its bioactivity.
Microplastics are a growing problem worldwide. They disrupt ecosystems and contribute to adverse effects, like metabolic disorders, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and developmental toxicity in the bodies of various organisms ...
UNSW researchers have shown that poor quality research methods and geographical biases in reviews mean the evidence policymakers may rely on is shakier than it appears.
Environment
Sep 23, 2025
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Researchers at the ESRF, the European Synchrotron, together with CNRS, ENS Lyon and the Institute of Marine Research in Norway, have unveiled how Atlantic Bluefin tuna transforms the toxic form of mercury into less harmful ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 18, 2025
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Frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians are disappearing as fast as—or faster than—any other class of animals around the world, succumbing to a variety of threats, like emerging infectious diseases. According to ...
Ecology
Sep 15, 2025
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In 2020, haunting images of corroded metal barrels in the deep ocean off Los Angeles leapt into the public consciousness. Initially linked to the toxic pesticide DDT, some barrels were encircled by ghostly halos in the sediment.
Environment
Sep 9, 2025
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As plastic pollution emerges as one of the planet's most pressing environmental threats, Tulane University scientists have published the first global assessment of where plastics pose the greatest ecological risks to marine ...
Environment
Sep 2, 2025
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A tiny fish with transparent embryos is helping University of California, Davis, researchers shed light on how exposure to crude oil and flame retardants can affect behavior, skeletal growth, cardiac health and other internal ...
Environment
Aug 27, 2025
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Antibiotic resistance in the environment is a growing and largely overlooked crisis receiving inconsistent attention that may very well have dire consequences for human health, according to a new study led by the University ...
Ecology
Aug 7, 2025
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