The Practical Guide to Ecotoxicology and the Environment

MODULE 01 - Introduction to ecotoxicology and the environment

• Describe what is meant by the term ecotoxicology and how it differs to toxicology.
• Describe what is meant by the term “environment” and environmental effect.
• Be able to define the terms individual, population, community, ecosystem, habitat and species.
• Explain why it is important to study ecotoxicology.

MODULE 02 - Introduction to environmental risk assessment

• Explain what is meant by environmental risk assessment and why it is important to undertake such an assessment.
• Define the terms risk, hazard and exposure.
• Explain what is meant by the terms hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation.
• Describe the kinds of uncertainty which may be encountered when undertaking an environmental risk assessment.

MODULE 03 - Environmental release

• Outline what is meant by the substance lifecycle (production, formulation, use and disposal) and why it is important to understand this concept.
• Explain what is meant by the term environmental compartments.
• Explain how substances are released into the environment (point and diffuse. sources), local and regional environment and spatial and temporal scales.

MODULE 04 - Environmental transport and fate

• Explain what is meant by environmental transport and fate.
• Outline the factors which can affect environmental mobility.

MODULE 05 - Physico-chemical properties

• Describe and define the important physico-chemical parameters which can be used
• Vapour pressure and volatility
• Water solubility
• Octanol water partition coefficient
• pH
• Hydrolysis
• KOC – adsorption coefficient (soil carbon water partitioning coefficient)
• Fugacity
• Henry's Law Constant

MODULE 06 - Aquatic ecotoxicology

• Explain what is meant by the term aquatic ecotoxicology and the importance of the aquatic compartment and why this is used for classification and labelling.
• Explain the key indicators used in assessment and the rationale behind this.
• Define the terms acute and chronic effects, LC50, EC50, NOEC, LOEC.
• Define the term trophic levels, its significance and the test species that are commonly used.

MODULE 07 - Aquatic ecotoxicology testing

• Explain the differences between short term and long term testing.
• Explain why vertebrates, invertebrates and green plants are used in the assessment.
• Explain why different exposure systems may be required, what these are and when they are used (static, semi static, flow through).
• Explain the difference between nominal concentration and measured concentration.
• Explain the approach taken to testing in the absence of any usable data for fish.

MODULE 08 - Terrestrial toxicity

• Explain what is meant by terrestrial toxicology.
• Explain the importance of soil in relation to the terrestrial ecosystem and how it can become contaminated.
• Explain the importance of assessing potential terrestrial vertebrate and invertebrate toxicity and how they may become exposed to chemicals within this ecosystem.

MODULE 09 - Chemical persistence and degradation

• Explain what is meant by persistence and degradation.
• Outline the differences between biotic and abiotic degradation.
• Explain what is meant by aerobic and anaerobic degradation.
• Explain what is meant by primary and ultimate biodegradation.
• Explain what is meant by persistence and how it relates to degradation.
• Explain what is meant by persistent organic pollutant (POP).

MODULE 10 - Chemical persistence and degradability assessment

Biotic degradation

• Explain why it is important to assess the potential for a substance to degrade within the environment.
• Outline the types of test and criteria (ready biodegradable, inherent biodegradation).
• Explain what is meant in CLP/GHS by rapid degradability and the criteria for assessment.
• Explain the significance of BOD/COD and theoretical oxygen demand and how these can be used to assess the potential for degradation.
• Explain the function of the wastewater treatment plant/sewage treatment plant and how and when this would be assessed.

Abiotic degradation

• Explain what is meant by the terms hydrolysis, oxidation, reduction and photochemical degradation.
• Outline the methods to measure these effects.

MODULE 11 - Bioaccumulation, bioconcentration and biomagnification

• Explain the relationship between degradability and bioaccumulation.
• Explain what is meant by the terms bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, biomagnification and bioconcentration factor.
• Outline the significance of these terms to the ecosystems.
• Explain the significance of indirect exposure to humans – man via the environment.
• Describe the ways in which the potential for bioaccumulation can be assessed (fish and Log KOw).

MODULE 12 - PBT & vPvB

• Define the terms PBT and vPvB.
• Explain why PBT / vPvB substances are of concern.
• Explain why under REACH an additional assessment for PBT and vPvB is required.
• Outline the approach taken for the assessment of PBT and vPvB.
• Explain the consequences under REACH for substances classified as PBT and vPvB.

MODULE 13 - Alternatives to testing

• Be able to explain what is meant by the terms refinement, reduction and replacement.
• Outline which of the three trophic levels falls under the realms of Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.
• Describe the vertebrate testing approach taken by REACH.
  Explain what is meant by a tiered testing approach with one example.
• Outline the use of the fish embryo test and two of its current limitations.
• Explain what is meant by the threshold approach.
• Outline the current status with regards to use of Qsar models.

MODULE 14 - Calculation of predicted no effect concentration (PNEC)

• Be able to define the term PNEC.
• Explain how the PNEC is used.
• Describe the types of PNEC which could be derived.
• Outline the approach for deriving a PNEC.
• Explain why assessment factors need to be used and what they do.
• Explain the approach taken in the assessment of a PNEC (marine) in the absence of marine data.
• Describe an alternative approach which can be used for the derivation of the PNEC (soil and sediment) in the absence of data.
• Outline when a PNEC (oral) might need to be considered.

MODULE 15 - Environmental exposure assessment

• Explain why it is important to undertake an environmental exposure assessment.
• Explain why a knowledge of the lifecycle stages is important.
• Define the term release rate and the difference between local and regional emissions.
• Explain the difference between Environmental Release Categories and Specific Environmental Release Categories.
• Explain what is meant by the term environmental fate and the processes involved.
• Define what is meant by predicted effect concentration (PEC).
• Explain what is meant by secondary poisoning and man exposed via the environment.
• Outline the differences between measured and modelling approach for exposure estimates.
• Outline how the results of exposure assessment are used in risk characterisation.