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.
Even within a single species, animals don't all respond in the same way to environmental changes. A new study of reed frogs in East Africa reveals that understanding these differences could be key to protecting wildlife.
Evolution
Oct 23, 2025
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Dust from California's drying Salton Sea doesn't just smell bad. Scientists from UC Riverside found that breathing the dust can quickly re-shape the microscopic world inside the lungs.
Environment
Oct 21, 2025
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New research has shown, for the first time, how mixtures of commonly used medications that end up in our waterways and natural environments might increase the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 14, 2025
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According to a study by the Department of Physics and the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), the Mar Menor saltwater lagoon in Murcia, Spain, the largest ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2025
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Most environmental scientists believe that chemical pollution can and is negatively affecting people and wildlife, according to my team's recent survey.
Environment
Oct 10, 2025
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A new paper in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry indicates high levels of exposure to "forever chemicals" in the environments of many tree swallow bird groups in the United States. Despite this, chemical exposure did ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 8, 2025
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An international study led by the University of Portsmouth has revealed reluctance from industry scientists to test chemicals for their effects on human and wildlife behavior, despite growing evidence linking environmental ...
Environment
Oct 7, 2025
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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 ...
