Ecotoxicology

Human activities, such as those in the industrial and agri-food sectors, disrupt the ecosystems around us. Substances that humans release into the environment can either degrade naturally, or accumulate and contaminate the ecosystem. Ecotoxicology is therefore concerned with the circulation of these contaminants within ecosystems.

Ecotoxicology also seeks to obtain a better understanding of contamination and to ensure its prevention. The ecotoxicological risk of a contaminant is documented by the danger of a substance, and assessed through toxicity studies, and by the probability of exposure to this substance.