Ecotoxicology

Ecotoxicology is a relatively new field combining toxicology and ecology to evaluate the toxic effects of chemicals to ecosystems and their constituents and processes. Despite considerable progress in the past decades, several areas are still in their early development stages. This includes more environmental-realistic ecotoxicological assessments such as evaluations of multiple stressors including those induced through climate change, and assessments on larger scales (e.g., landscape). A shift is also taking place from merely assessing the ecotoxicity of chemicals towards the mechanistic underpinning of the sensitivity process. Ultimately, these developments our needed to meet the objectives set in Legislation for biodiversity and nature conservation.