User:Secretshrub/Aquatic toxicology

Significance in regulatory context
In the United States, aquatic toxicology plays an important role in the NPDES wastewater permit program. While most wastewater dischargers typically conduct analytical chemistry testing for known pollutants, whole effluent toxicity tests have been standardized and are performed routinely as a tool for evaluating the potential harmful effects of other pollutants not specifically regulated in the discharge permits.

EPA's water quality program has published water quality criteria (for individual pollutants) and water quality standards (for water bodies) that were derived from aquatic toxicity tests. The EPA also has criteria for chemical concentrations in surface water relative to when it is likely to harm plant and animal life.

Article body
While basic research in toxicology began in multiple countries in the 1800s, it was not until around the 1930s that the use of acute toxicity testing, especially on fish, was established. Due to the popularity of organochlorine pesticide DDT [l,l,l-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] and its linkage to causing fish death, the field of aquatic toxicology grew. At first, studies focused mainly on oysters and mussels, as they could not move away from the toxic environment. The results of these studies eventually led to the implementation of programs that monitor concentrations of aquatic pollutants in oysters and mussels, such as the Mussel Watch program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Over the next two decades, the effects of chemicals and wastes on non-human species became more of a public issue and the era of the pickle-jar bioassays began as efforts increased to standardize toxicity testing techniques.

Guillermo Article body Currently, aquatic Aquatic toxicology is continuing to evolve as risk assessment is becoming more practiced in the field. The field is gaining popularity as it has begun to link the effects of pollutants on marine animals to humans who eat fish and other marine life.

Acute tests are short-term exposure tests ( hours 14 days or days  less ) a


 * Application Factor (AF) – An empirically derived “safe” concentration of a chemical.
 * Guillermo Citation
 * 4. Erhirhie EO, Ihekwereme CP, Ilodigwe EE. Advances in acute toxicity testing: strengths, weaknesses and regulatory acceptance. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2018 May;11(1):5-12. doi: 10.2478/intox-2018-0001. Epub 2018 Aug 6. PMID: 30181707; PMCID: PMC6117820.
 * 5.
 * "History of the Clean Water Act". EPA Environmental Protection Agency. June 22, 2023.
 * 11.
 * "Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on July 30, 2004.
 * 21.  Barron, Mace G.; Otter, Ryan R.; Connors, Kristin A.; Kienzler, Aude; Embry, Michelle R. (2021-03-05). "Ecological Thresholds of Toxicological Concern: A Review". Frontiers in Toxicology. 3: 640183. doi:10.3389/ftox.2021.640183. ISSN 2673-3080. PMC 8915905. PMID 35295098.
 * 21.  Barron, Mace G.; Otter, Ryan R.; Connors, Kristin A.; Kienzler, Aude; Embry, Michelle R. (2021-03-05). "Ecological Thresholds of Toxicological Concern: A Review". Frontiers in Toxicology. 3: 640183. doi:10.3389/ftox.2021.640183. ISSN 2673-3080. PMC 8915905. PMID 35295098.