Research Areas > Contaminants > Contaminants of Emerging Concern > Effects on Biota

Project Group: Effects on Biota

SCCWRP Research

Determining the effects of emerging contaminants on biota is challenging because these compounds can have many different types of effects. Some compounds are endocrine disruptors, while other compounds may affect the immune system, growth, or development of organisms. For most emerging contaminants, insufficient information is available to determine whether chemical concentrations measured in the environment are likely to have ecologically significant effects.

SCCWRP researchers use an integrated approach to study the biological effects of emerging contaminants. The emphasis is on measuring biological responses in animals from the field. This helps to determine whether observed effects are occurring at environmentally realistic exposure levels. Biological studies are usually integrated with chemical measurements so that relationships between exposure and response can be determined. Laboratory experiments are used to develop and validate measurement tools, and also to help determine the causes and mechanisms of biological effects.

A variety of biological effects measurements are needed to understand the effects of emerging contaminants on aquatic life. Measurement of molecular, cellular, and physiological effects are very sensitive and useful for understanding how contaminants cause effects. Yet it is difficult to determine significance of these measurements without studying effects at higher levels of biological organization, such as survival, growth, and reproduction.
 

Research projects involving effects on biota include:

• Emerging Contaminant Effects on Coastal Fish
• Emerging Contaminant Effects on Wetland Fish
• Causes of Endocrine Disruption in Fish