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Tolerance, the ability of populations to cope with the chemical
stress resulting from toxic contaminants, has been described in
many organisms from bacteria to fungi, from phytoplankton to
terrestrial flowering plants, and from invertebrates such as worms
to vertebrates like fish and amphibians. The building of tolerance,
be it by physiological acclimation or genetic adaptation, can have
great consequences for the local biodiversity, and hence the
ecology and ecosystem functioning of many of the world's habitats.
Understanding the frequency of the occurrence of tolerance has
tremendous implications for the sustainability of biodiversity and
ecosystem functioning. Tolerance to Environmental Contaminants
takes a multidisciplinary approach across contaminant types,
habitats, organisms, biological levels of organization and
scientific disciplines. The book examines the general principles
governing the acquisition and biological consequences of tolerance,
genetically or physiologically based, at different levels of
biological organization, taxonomically from bacteria and archaea to
flowering plants and vertebrates, and within organisms from
molecular biology and biochemistry through physiology to whole
organism, community, and ecosystem levels of organization.
Presenting a state-of-the-art synthesis of the many aspects of the
phenomenon of tolerance to environmental contaminants, this volume
covers mechanisms of defense involved in the acquisition of
tolerance, different classes of environmental contaminants,
positive and negative ecological consequences of tolerance and the
impact of tolerance in bacteria, plants, and insects on society.
The reviews presented in this book supply the tools for carrying
out more informed and therefore more reliable risk-benefit analyses
when assessing the ecotoxicological risks to life in any of the
contaminated habitats that now surround us in our industrialized
society.
Estuaries in every country exemplify the same paradox - they are
among the most productive ecosystems and also among the most
impacted by anthropogenic activities. And although estuarine
biodiversity is key to the ecological and economic health of
coastal regions, estuaries are exposed to toxic effluents
transported by rivers from remote and nearby conurbations and
industrial and agricultural concerns, putting them at risk.
Increased attention to environmental issues highlights the
fragility and importance of estuaries and brings to the forefront
the need for an up-to-date assessment of techniques. Environmental
Assessment of Estuarine Ecosystems: A Case Study describes a
comparative, multidisciplinary ecotoxicological study of two
contrasting estuaries in France. Based on the results of this
study, the book presents generalizations about how different
techniques might be applied and interpreted in future, similar
studies assessing the ecotoxicological status of these vital
coastal systems. With contributions from international experts,
this reference covers all aspects of estuaries from the
physiological to the economical. It introduces the state-of-the-art
science required to investigate ecotoxicological problems in many
estuaries all over the world. Although carefully focused on a
specific region, this book covers a broad range of environmental
issues and solutions, demonstrating how various pieces of
information can be integrated into a sound assessment.
Understanding the observations about this region and the techniques
used for its assessment provide a benchmark for assessing,
remediating, and applying new developments to other estuaries.
Ecotoxicology of Metals in Invertebrates reviews the state of the
art in research concerning metal exposure of marine, freshwater,
and terrestrial invertebrates. The book focuses on the uptake and
accumulation of essential and non-essential trace metals by
invertebrates, metal detoxification and involved mechanisms,
adaptations to metal stress, metal regulation and elimination,
distribution and speciation of metals in different organs and
tissues, and interaction of metals with biotic and abiotic factors.
Toxicological studies involve histopathological, electron
microscopic, physiological, and biochemical methods. The book
emphasizes the ecological and ecotoxicological implications that
can be derived from metal exposure of invertebrates in the field.
The significance of background concentrations, the evaluation of
critical concentrations, and the establishment of environmental
quality criteria are discussed as well. Ecotoxicology of Metals in
Invertebrates is an excellent reference for ecologists,
ecotoxicologists, environmental scientists, ecophysiologists, and
students.
Does a change, which affects a few biological macro-molecules, some
cells, or a few individuals within a population, have any
ecological significance that would allow the prediction of
deleterious effects at higher levels of biological organization,
namely the population, community, and ultimately the ecosystem?
With contributions from experts in the field, Ecological
Biomarkers: Indicators of Ecotoxicological Effects explores how
biomarkers can be used to predict effects farther down the chain.
It presents a synthesis of the state of the art in the methodology
of biomarkers and its contribution to ecological risk assessment.
This book describes the core biomarkers currently used in
environmental research concerned with biological monitoring,
biomarkers which correspond to the defences developed by living
organisms in response to contaminants in their environment, and
biomarkers that reveal biological damage resulting from contaminant
stressors. It examines the efficacy of lysosomal biomarkers,
immunotoxicity effects, behavioral disturbances, energy metabolism
impairments, endocrine disruption measures, and genotoxicity as all
indicative of probable toxic effects at higher biological levels.
It is time to revisit the biological responses most ecologically
relevant in the diagnosis of the health status of an aquatic
environment well before it becomes unmanageable. Biomarkers provide
a real possibility of delivering an easily measured marker at a
simple level of biological organization that is predictably linked
to a potentially ecologically significant effect at higher levels
of biological organization. The text explores the latest knowledge
and thinking on how to use biomarkers as tools for the assessment
of environmental health and management.
Twenty years ago, researchers wishing to identify contaminated
areas in aquatic environments generally took water samples, and
analysed them badly (as we have since discovered) for a few
"pollutants" which were of topical note at the time (and which
could be quantified by the methods then available). Today, the use
of aquatic organisms as biomonitors in preference to water analysis
has become commonplace, and many national and interna tional
programmes exist around the world involving such studies. We
believe that this trend will continue, and have complete faith in
the methodology (when it is employed correctly). We hope that the
following text assists in some part in attaining this goal, such
that the quality of our most basic global resource -water - is
adequately protected in the future. DAVE PHILLIPS, PHIL RAINBOW
England, March 1992 vii Acknowledgements Our thanks for
contributions to this book are due to several individuals and
groups, for varying reasons. Firstly, a co-authored book is always
a triumph, and we trust that the following text is an acceptable
compromise of the views of two individual authors, on a complex and
developing topic. Secondly, many of the ideas herein have
crystallised over the last two decades as the field has grown, and
we are individually and collectively grateful to a number of
researchers for their insight and assistance."
Twenty years ago, researchers wishing to identify contaminated
areas in aquatic environments generally took water samples, and
analysed them badly (as we have since discovered) for a few
"pollutants" which were of topical note at the time (and which
could be quantified by the methods then available). Today, the use
of aquatic organisms as biomonitors in preference to water analysis
has become commonplace, and many national and interna tional
programmes exist around the world involving such studies. We
believe that this trend will continue, and have complete faith in
the methodology (when it is employed correctly). We hope that the
following text assists in some part in attaining this goal, such
that the quality of our most basic global resource - water - is
adequately protected in the future. DAVE PHILLIPS, PHIL RAINBOW
England. March 1992 VII Acknowledgements Our thanks for
contributions to this book are due to several individuals and
groups, for varying reasons. Firstly, a co-authored book is always
a triumph, and we trust that the following text is an acceptable
compromise ofthe views oftwo individual authors, on a complex and
developing topic. Secondly, many of the ideas herein have
crystallised over the last two decades as the field has grown, and
we are individually and collectively grateful to a number of
researchers for their insight and assistance.
Tolerance, the ability of populations to cope with the chemical
stress resulting from toxic contaminants, has been described in
many organisms from bacteria to fungi, from phytoplankton to
terrestrial flowering plants, and from invertebrates such as worms
to vertebrates like fish and amphibians. The building of tolerance,
be it by physiological acclimation or genetic adaptation, can have
great consequences for the local biodiversity, and hence the
ecology and ecosystem functioning of many of the world's habitats.
Understanding the frequency of the occurrence of tolerance has
tremendous implications for the sustainability of biodiversity and
ecosystem functioning. Tolerance to Environmental Contaminants
takes a multidisciplinary approach across contaminant types,
habitats, organisms, biological levels of organization and
scientific disciplines. The book examines the general principles
governing the acquisition and biological consequences of tolerance,
genetically or physiologically based, at different levels of
biological organization, taxonomically from bacteria and archaea to
flowering plants and vertebrates, and within organisms from
molecular biology and biochemistry through physiology to whole
organism, community, and ecosystem levels of organization.
Presenting a state-of-the-art synthesis of the many aspects of the
phenomenon of tolerance to environmental contaminants, this volume
covers mechanisms of defense involved in the acquisition of
tolerance, different classes of environmental contaminants,
positive and negative ecological consequences of tolerance and the
impact of tolerance in bacteria, plants, and insects on society.
The reviews presented in this book supply the tools for carrying
out more informed and therefore more reliable risk-benefit analyses
when assessing the ecotoxicological risks to life in any of the
contaminated habitats that now surround us in our industrialized
society.
Twenty years ago, researchers wishing to identify contaminated
areas in aquatic environments generally took water samples, and
analysed them badly (as we have since discovered) for a few
"pollutants" which were of topical note at the time (and which
could be quantified by the methods then available). Today, the use
of aquatic organisms as biomonitors in preference to water analysis
has become commonplace, and many national and interna tional
programmes exist around the world involving such studies. We
believe that this trend will continue, and have complete faith in
the methodology (when it is employed correctly). We hope that the
following text assists in some part in attaining this goal, such
that the quality of our most basic global resource -water - is
adequately protected in the future. DAVE PHILLIPS, PHIL RAINBOW
England, March 1992 vii Acknowledgements Our thanks for
contributions to this book are due to several individuals and
groups, for varying reasons. Firstly, a co-authored book is always
a triumph, and we trust that the following text is an acceptable
compromise of the views of two individual authors, on a complex and
developing topic. Secondly, many of the ideas herein have
crystallised over the last two decades as the field has grown, and
we are individually and collectively grateful to a number of
researchers for their insight and assistance."
Metal contamination is one of the most ubiquitous, persistent and
complex environmental issues, encompassing legacies of the past
(e.g. abandoned mines) as well as impending, but poorly studied,
threats (e.g. metallo-nanomaterials). Writing for graduate
students, risk assessors and environmental managers, Drs Luoma and
Rainbow explain why controversies exist in managing metal
contamination and highlight opportunities for policy solutions
stemming from the latest advances in the field. They illustrate how
the 'lateral' approach offers opportunities in both science and
management, making the case that the advanced state of the science
now allows bridging of traditional boundaries in the field (e.g.
between field observations and laboratory toxicology). The book has
a uniquely international and interdisciplinary perspective,
integrating geochemistry, biology, ecology, and toxicology, as well
as policy and science. It explicitly shows how science ties into
today's regulatory structure, identifying opportunities for more
effective risk management in the future.
Estuaries in every country exemplify the same paradox - they are
among the most productive ecosystems and also among the most
impacted by anthropogenic activities. And although estuarine
biodiversity is key to the ecological and economic health of
coastal regions, estuaries are exposed to toxic effluents
transported by rivers from remote and nearby conurbations and
industrial and agricultural concerns, putting them at risk.
Increased attention to environmental issues highlights the
fragility and importance of estuaries and brings to the forefront
the need for an up-to-date assessment of techniques. Environmental
Assessment of Estuarine Ecosystems: A Case Study describes a
comparative, multidisciplinary ecotoxicological study of two
contrasting estuaries in France. Based on the results of this
study, the book presents generalizations about how different
techniques might be applied and interpreted in future, similar
studies assessing the ecotoxicological status of these vital
coastal systems. With contributions from international experts,
this reference covers all aspects of estuaries from the
physiological to the economical. It introduces the state-of-the-art
science required to investigate ecotoxicological problems in many
estuaries all over the world. Although carefully focused on a
specific region, this book covers a broad range of environmental
issues and solutions, demonstrating how various pieces of
information can be integrated into a sound assessment.
Understanding the observations about this region and the techniques
used for its assessment provide a benchmark for assessing,
remediating, and applying new developments to other estuaries.
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