Ecotoxicology

Ecotoxicology is the study of contaminants in the environment and their effects on constituents of the environment. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws from knowledge and techniques in the fields of ecology and toxicology to study the effects of toxic chemical or biological agents on biological organisms at the population, community or ecosystem level. It is distinguished from toxicology because it focuses on the impacts of chemicals on ecological groupings of organisms rather than on individuals; i.e. on populations, communities and ecosystems. Contaminant chemical form, phase association and movement among components of the biosphere are central issues in ecotoxicology.