ABSTRACT
Testing of chemicals for their toxic effects traditionally focused on safety and effects in humans using surrogate species. Beginning in the 1960s, the recognition that chemicals in the environment can have effects on nonhuman receptors has led to the emergence of the subdiscipline of ecotoxicology. Subsequently, testing protocols with a wide range of surrogate species have been established to address questions concerning thresholds of toxic effects and mode of action. By expanding the number of species tested in assessing the toxicology of a chemical, we are able to predict and diagnose possible adverse environmental effects and also gain considerable insight into a toxicant’s mechanism of action, organ-speci•c toxicity, and acute and long-term effects. Field protocols emphasize methods and indicators for determining the consequences of chemical exposure on species and their populations. In this chapter, we provide principles and examples of laboratory and •eld protocols that have been developed to understand the effects of chemicals in the environment.
