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Ecotoxicology > Ch.2a > Flashcards

Ch.2a Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three types of goals for ecotoxicology

A
  1. Scientific
  2. Technical
  3. Practical
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2
Q

Explain scientific goals for ecotoxicology

A
  • to organize knowledge based on explanatory principles about contaminants in the biosphere
  • goals are based on the development of scientific method
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3
Q

What is a precipitate explanation

A
  • facts fit into ruling theory
  • Ask an expert
  • uncritical
  • Its essentially just believing what the leader says
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4
Q

What is the model scientific goals used after precipitate explanation

A

The working hypothesis

  • Never accepted as true
  • Focus on falsification
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5
Q

What is a weakness of the working hypothesis

A

It tends to favor a central theory

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6
Q

Explain multiple working hypothesis

A
  • Consider all plausible ideas simultaneously
  • useful in questions with multiple explanations
  • although a hypothesis is never assumed true, survival tends to enhance status
  • must avoid weak hypotheses and imprecise/biased measurements
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7
Q

What are the three ways of learning new knowledge using the scientific goals

A
  • precipitate explanation
  • working hypothesis
  • multiple working hypothesis
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8
Q

What is the next step for a hypothesis

A

-Becoming a paradigm

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9
Q

Define a paradigm

A

generally accepted concept that have survived vigorous testing

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10
Q

What is “normal science”

A
  • incremental increase in facts and ideas reaffirm, revise or replace paradigms
  • methodical fact gathering
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11
Q

what is “innovative science”

A
  • questions paradigms and formulates new ones

- requires normal science

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12
Q

What are the two types of investigative behaviors

A
  • normal science

- innovative science

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13
Q

do younger fields tend more towards normal or innovative science?

A

normal, but a balance is required

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14
Q

What are technological goals for ecotoxicology

A

to develop and apply tools and methods to acquire a better understanding of contaminant fate and effects in the biosphere.

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15
Q

What is the purpose of technological goals

A

a. Analytical instrumentation
b. Standard methods
c. Computational/analytical methods

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16
Q

What are some qualities aimed for in technological goals

A
  • effectiveness
  • precision
  • accuracy
  • appropriate sensitivity
  • consistency
  • clarity of results
  • ease of use
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17
Q

What are practical goals in ecotoxicology

A

the application of available knowledge, tools and procedures to solving or documenting specific problems.

-Also called regulatory goals

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18
Q

What are some tools used in practical goals

A
  • guidelines
  • quality standards
  • criteria
  • step-by-step approaches
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19
Q

Are practical goals to further understanding?

A

No, they are to address a specific problem

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20
Q

What are some relevant terms with practical goals

A
  • criteria

- standards

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21
Q

Define criteria

A

estimated [toxicant] based on current literature, that are considered protective for organisms or a defined purpose, if not exceeded

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22
Q

Define standards

A

legal limits thought sufficient to protect environment.

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23
Q

What is the value placed on in practical goals

A
  • effectiveness
  • precision
  • accuracy
  • sensitivity
  • consistency
  • clarity
  • ease of use
  • UNAMBIGUOUS RESULTS
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24
Q

Do all three goals (scientific/technical/practical) usually overlap

A

No, but ideally they should. A given lab/situation/study will usually emphasize one

25
Q

What are toxicity Tests

A

Chemical and physical tests in the lab may not be enough to assess potential effects on live organisms

26
Q

Why might organisms be used in toxicity tests

A

To see if:

  • conditions support life
  • what are good conditions (pH,DO,salinity,T)
  • effect of env on toxicity
  • tox to a specific species
  • relative sensitivities of organisms
  • amount and type of waste treatment to meet requirements
  • monitor effectiveness of treatments
  • monitor discharge rates
  • Check compliance
27
Q

Why use standard methods

A

They ensure:

  • Uniformity
  • Reproducibility
  • utility
28
Q

What are the different types of quality assurance/quality control procedures

A
  • Guidelines for sampling/handling samples
  • Source/condition of test organisms
  • use of reference tests
  • test procedures
29
Q

Define Acclimate

A

to accustom test organisms to different environmental conditions

30
Q

Define response

A

the measured biological effect of the variable tested

For acute toxicity its usually death/immobilization

31
Q

Define control

A

treatment that duplicates all the conditions of the test but contains no test material

32
Q

Define range-finding test

A

preliminary test to establish approximate toxicity

-Single replicates, multiple widely spaced concentrations (exposure for 8 to 26 hours)

33
Q

Define screening test

A

toxicity test to determine if an impact is likely to be observed

  • 1 concentration, lots of replicates
  • exposure for 24 to 96 hrs
34
Q

Define definitive test

A

toxicity test to establish concentration at which an end point occurs
-longer exposure, multiple concentration, close intervals, multiple replicates

35
Q

Define Dose

A

The amount of toxin entering and organism

36
Q

does does mean the same thing as concentration

A

no

37
Q

Define Toxicity

A

potential of a test material to cause adverse effects on living organisms

  • Result of dose or exposure concentration and exposure time
  • May be effected by temperature, chemical form, availability
38
Q

Define exposure time

A

time that test organism is in contact with the test solution

39
Q

Define acute toxicity

A

relatively short term lethal or other effecttest

40
Q

what is considered and acute exposure time for fish and other macroinvertebrates

A

4 days

41
Q

what is the acute exposure time for organisms smaller than fish

A

2 days

42
Q

define chronic toxicity

A

stimulus lasts 10% of life span or longer

-may involve reduced growth/reproduction/death

43
Q

Define LC

A

Lethal concentration

-toxicant concentration estimated to produce death in a given proportion of organisms

44
Q

Define EC

A

effective concentration

-toxicant concentration estimated to cause a specific effect in a given proportion of the population

45
Q

Define IC

A

inhibition concentration
-toxicant concentration estimated to cause a specified percentage inhibition or impairment of a qualitative biological function

46
Q

Define NOEC

A

No observed effect concentration
-In full or partial life cycle test, the highest toxicant concentration in which the values are not significantly different from control

47
Q

Define LOEC

A

Lowest observed effect concentration
-In full or partial life cycle test, the lowest toxicant concentration in which the values for the measured response are significantly different from control

48
Q

What is a static test

A

solutions + organisms in a container stay there for duration of test.

49
Q

What is a Renewal test

A

organisms are exposed to solutions of the same composition which are renewed at intervals (24h)

50
Q

What is a flow through test

A

solutions are continually replaced during the test

51
Q

what should be some considerations when choosing an organism

A
  • sensitivity to toxicant
  • geographical distribution/abundance/availability
  • recreational/economic/ecological importance
  • abiotic requirements
  • cultural methods
  • knowledge of life cycle/nutrition
  • physical condition
  • health
52
Q

how many concentrations and how many controls are needed in toxicity tests

A
  • 5 conc
  • 1 control
  • duplicates for anaysis
  • QA/QC
53
Q

How should you distribute your organisms when making test solutions

A
  • Randomly
  • 1 at a time if <11/container
  • 2 at a time if >12/container
54
Q

How should organisms used for static tests be moved from an intermediate container

A

ALL AT ONCE

55
Q

How many organisms must survive in the control for the test to be valid

A

90%

56
Q

Are lower survival rates more acceptable in long or short exposure tests

A

long

57
Q

what a good confidence interval for a toxicity test

A

-95% it should be less the +/- 30% of the mean

58
Q

when might survival rates be lower than 90% in a toxicity test

A
  • when there is not culture method
  • in which case those values may not be attainable
  • sometime when you just grab fish at random you grab only sick fish

Ecotoxicology (13 decks)

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