Environmental Toxicology

Environmental toxicology is a multidisciplinary field of science concerned with the study of the harmful effects of various chemical, biological and physical agents on living organisms. Ecotoxicology is a subdiscipline of environmental toxicology concerned with studying the harmful effects of toxicants at the population and ecosystem levels.

Rachel Carson is considered the mother of environmental toxicology, as she made it a distinct field within toxicology in 1962 with the publication of her book Silent Spring, which covered the effects of uncontrolled pesticide use. Carson's book was based extensively on a series of reports by Lucille Farrier Stickel on the ecological effects of the pesticide DDT.

Organisms can be exposed to various kinds of toxicants at any life cycle stage, some of which are more sensitive than others. Toxicity can also vary with the organism's placement within its food web. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism stores toxicants in fatty tissues, which may eventually establish a trophic cascade and the biomagnification of specific toxicants. Biodegradation releases carbon dioxide and water as by-products into the environment. This process is typically limited in areas affected by environmental toxicants.

Harmful effects of such chemical and biological agents as toxicants from pollutants, insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers can affect an organism and its community by reducing its species diversity and abundance. Such changes in population dynamics affect the ecosystem by reducing its productivity and stability.

Although legislation implemented since the early 1970s had intended to minimize harmful effects of environmental toxicants upon all species, McCarty (2013) has warned that "longstanding limitations in the implementation of the simple conceptual model that is the basis of current aquatic toxicity testing protocols" may lead to an impending environmental toxicology "dark age".

* Description and images provided by Wikipedia under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license .

Matching Environmental Toxicology Colleges

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Four or more years; Public; $28,991 average out-state tuition; $9,709 average in-state tuition

University of California-Davis

Four or more years; Public; $41,196 average out-state tuition; $11,442 average in-state tuition

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Four or more years; Public; $25,433 average out-state tuition; $10,099 average in-state tuition

University of California-Santa Cruz

Four or more years; Public; $41,196 average out-state tuition; $11,442 average in-state tuition

Texas Tech University

Four or more years; Public; $21,204 average out-state tuition; $8,935 average in-state tuition

University of South Alabama

Four or more years; Public; $16,512 average out-state tuition; $8,256 average in-state tuition

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Four or more years; Public; $37,161 average out-state tuition; $9,273 average in-state tuition

Scholarships for Environmental Toxicology Majors

Bullet name award deadline Link
 

Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Up to $30,000 Varies See Details
 

Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

award

Up to $30,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Jewel Scholars Program - Mount Mary College

Mount Mary College

$27,000 Varies See Details
 

Jewel Scholars Program - Mount Mary College

Mount Mary College

award

$27,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Lumpkins Family Merit Scholarship in the College of Science

University of Notre Dame

$25,000 January 01, 2025 See Details
 

Lumpkins Family Merit Scholarship in the College of Science

University of Notre Dame

award

$25,000

deadline

January 01, 2025
See Details
 

Big Bang Theory Graduate Fellowship-PAID

University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)

$20,000 May 01, 2024 See Details
 

Big Bang Theory Graduate Fellowship-PAID

University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA)

award

$20,000

deadline

May 01, 2024
See Details
 

Bess Heflin Fellowship

University of Texas at Austin, Office of Graduate Studies

$19,000 Varies See Details
 

Bess Heflin Fellowship

University of Texas at Austin, Office of Graduate Studies

award

$19,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Boyd Lyon Memorial Fellowship - University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida (UCF)

$18,000 Varies See Details
 

Boyd Lyon Memorial Fellowship - University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida (UCF)

award

$18,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

SEI Native American Education Scholarship

Solar Energy International (SEI)

$10,000 Varies See Details
 

SEI Native American Education Scholarship

Solar Energy International (SEI)

award

$10,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

SEI Energy Women in Solar Scholarship

Solar Energy International (SEI)

$10,000 Varies See Details
 

SEI Energy Women in Solar Scholarship

Solar Energy International (SEI)

award

$10,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

EAGLES Scholarship - PSU

Portland State University

$10,000 Varies See Details
 

EAGLES Scholarship - PSU

Portland State University

award

$10,000

deadline

Varies
See Details
 

Allman Medical Scholarship

Miss America Pageant

Up to $10,000 Varies See Details
 

Allman Medical Scholarship

Miss America Pageant

award

Up to $10,000

deadline

Varies
See Details