What is ecotoxicology? An ad-hoc grab bag or an interdisciplinary science?

Abstract

Ecotoxicology is a new discipline that supposedly melds the fields of ecology and toxicology. Yet as today's scientists grapple with wide-ranging environmental degradation, the field of ecotoxicology often seems an ineffectual, naïve and confused science, far from a seamless merger of two well-established and respected disciplines. We set out to examine the current state of ecotoxicology, paying special attention to some of the major simplifications and misunderstandings that underlie its weaknesses. By exposing major areas of needed improvement, we hope to point the way towards giving ecotoxicology a more prominent voice in the analysis of pressing contemporary environmental problems.