Environmental Toxicology

Environmental toxicology is a branch of toxicology that became established in the mid-1960s. In essence, environmental toxicology is the multi-disciplinary study of the effects and detection of toxic substances in the environment. Environmental toxicology draws upon both basic and applied scientific knowledge to understand natural and anthropogenic (man-made) pollutants’ life cycle and their impact on structures and functions of biological and ecological systems. In this programme the effects of environmental toxins will be investigated at the level of molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems. The main questions posed by environmental toxicologists are: how pollutant causes harmful effects, how can we measure the extent of the effects, and what can we do to prevent or minimize the risk to biological and ecological systems.