Ecotoxicology, methods

Repetto, G., del Peso, A. and Repetto, M. (2000) Alternative ecotoxicological methods for the evaluation, control and monitoring of environmental pollutants, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Restoration 3 (1), 47-51. 

Laake, M., Editor (1982) Ecotoxicological Methods for the Aquatic Environment (in Norwegian). Nordforsk Miljpvardsserien Publikation. pp. 116-119. 

The main focus of the ecological risk assessment is to minimize undesired events caused by chemicals. Species sensitivity distribution (SSD) is an example of an ecotoxicological method which is based on such events at above the no-effect level/concentration. We can assume that within a community species differ in... 

C. Tomlin, ed.. The Pesticides Manual A World Compendium, Incorporating the Agrochemicals Handbook, 10th ed.. The British Crop Protection Council and The Royal Society of Chemistry, Crop Protection PubHcations, Cambridge, U.K., 1994. Includes 725 entries by common name in alphabetic order, with chemical stmcture, chemical name(s), molecular formula, CAS Registry Number, physicochemical properties, commercialisation, mode of action, uses, trade names, analytical methods, mammalian toxicology, ecotoxicology, and environmental fate. 

Reliable residue data are generated during the development of an a.i. to support the assessment of the consumer risk (residue data and toxicological data) and the impact on the environment (fate and behavior, efficacy and ecotoxicological data). It is critical that these analytical methods are reliably validated. In the guidance document SANCO/3029/99 rev. 4 (11/07/00), harmonized requirements for the residue analytical method are described. Validated analytical methods are required for the following studies ... 

Encouraged by recent legislations all over the world aimed to protect human health and environment, alternative methods have proved their abilities to assess the toxicity of chemicals. Hence, a possible solution to the characterization of the toxicological and ecotoxicological risk of the chemicals could be represented by the application of in silico and in vitro techniques. 

Among the possible alternative methods, in vitro assay (for ATMs) and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) models (for ANTMs) are the most applied approaches in the toxicological and ecotoxicological evaluation of chemicals profiles, even in the field of environmental research and risk assessment. 

Continuous culture systems have been widely used to culture microorganisms for industrial and research purposes (Kubitschek 1970 Tempest 1970 Veldkamp 1976 Rhee 1980). In recent years, these culture techniques have found their way into the bioassay methods of ecotoxicology and allelopathy (Rhee 1980). The early development of a continuous culture system can be traced back to the work of Novik and Szilard (1950 a,b) who developed the first chemostat. In a continuous culture system, nutrients are supplied to the cell culture at a constant rate and to maintain a constant volume, an equal volume of cell culture is removed. This allows the cell population to reach a steady state, where the growth rate and the total number of cells/ml of culture remains constant. Two kind of continuous culture systems can be distinguished turbidostat and chemostat. ... 

Damasio J, Navarro-Ortega A, Tauler R et al (2010) Identifying major pesticides affecting bivalve species exposed to agricultural pollution using multi-biomarker and multivariate methods. Ecotoxicology 19 1084-1094... 

Here we will describe the methods that are used to derive critical limits for soil, based on direct ecotoxicological effects on microorganisms and plants. The indirect approaches (food web models) to derive critical limits for soil based on critical limits for terrestrial fauna such as MPC values for target organisms will be also considered. 

Kimerle [27] reviewed the ecotoxicology of LAS focusing on the results rather than on the method of analysis, for which the author referred to the review undertaken by Painter and Zabel [30], alluding only to two papers on biota sample preparation. Litz et al. [31] determined the concentration of LAS in rye grass by Azure A active substances (AzAAS). AzAAS is a non-specific colorimetric method, which has not been used as frequently as MBAS (see Chapter 3.1). Briefly, it consists of the formation of an ion association complex with a dyed solution of Azure A (cationic). The complex formed is solvent-extractable and is separated from unreacted dye prior to colour measurement. 

Lienert J, Gudel K, Escher BI (2007) Screening method for ecotoxicological hazard assessment of 42 pharmaceuticals considering human metabolism and excretory routes. Environ Sci Technol 41 4471 78... 

Traunspurger, W. Haitzer, M. Hoss, S. Beier, S. Ahlf, W. Steinberg, C. Ecotoxicological assessment of aquatic sediments with Caenorhabditis elegans (nematoda) - a method for testing liquid medium and a whole-sediment samples. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 1997, 16, 245-250. 

ECETOC. 2007b. European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (publications) website http /www.ecetoc.org/Content/Default.asp PagelD = 21 ECVAM. 2007. European Center for Validation of Alternative Methods website. http /ecvam.jrc.it/index.htm EU. 2006. The DG Environment REACH website. http /ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach EU. 2007. European Commision, Research Science and Society website The role of ethics in EU research. 

Newman MC. 1995. Quantitative methods in aquatic ecotoxicology. Chelsea (MI) Lewis Publishers. 

Ecotoxicology is a natural extension of toxicology that studies the fate and effects of toxic substances on an ecosystem. It is based on scientiflc research that employs both laboratory and held methods. Ecotoxicology requires an understanding of ecologic principles and theories pertaining to how chemicals can affect individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. Individuals are single entities, whereas a... 

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