Ecotoxicology

Description of the research area

Responsible for the research area is professor Hans Blanck

Ecotoxicology includes fundamental and applied science. It has an interdisciplinary character rooted in biology, chemistry and toxicology. It provides strategies and tools for assessing the toxicity of chemicals and consumer products, and for detecting toxic effects in the ecosystems. Ecotoxicological studies range from the biochemical mechanisms of toxicity of individual toxicants to the combined effects on populations and communities caused by the chemical cocktail present in the ecosystems.

Recent lines of development in ecotoxicology are towards cellular in vitro testing and ecotoxicogenomics, and towards ecological realism recognizing the full chemical and biological complexity of pollution situations. This development is in concordance with the regulatory changes in EU with the ongoing implementation of REACH regulation and the Water Framework Directive.

Ecotoxicology at Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences is a complete research environment with fundamental and applied science coupled to education in environmental science and to an international master programme in Ecotoxicology. MScs and PhDs in Ecotoxicology have a good potential for employment in the industrial, consultant and governmental markets.

Current research directions

• Toxicity of Consumer´s Products (Prof Göran Dave)
• Integrated Fish Monitoring (Prof Åke Larsson)
• Community Ecotoxicology (Prof Hans Blanck)
• Community Ecotoxicogenomics (Dr Martin Eriksson)
• Mixture Ecotoxicology (Associate Prof Thomas Backhaus)
• Marine Paint Development and Evaluation (Prof H Blanck & Ass Prof T Backhaus)
• Development of Ecotoxicological Standards (Prof Göran Dave)

These studies involve methodological development and studies of high-technology, new and emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, nanoparticles, polymers and various antifouling principles.
 

Ecotoxicology is deeply involved in the EGO (Ecotoxicology: from Gene to Ocean) research platform of the Faculty of Science.
DPES Ecotoxicology is leading the MISTRA programme MARINE PAINT with the aim to developed new risk and efficacy –optimised antifouling paint.

Personnel
Arrhenius, Åsa, Post doctor
Backhaus, Thomas, Associate professor
Blanck, Hans, Professor
Dave, Göran, Professor
Eriksson, Martin, Post doctor
Holm, Kristina, Scientist
Larsson, Åke, Professor
Matzke, Marianne, Post doctor
Porsbring, Tobias Post doctor

PhD students
Wendt, Ida
Brosché, Sara
Chapman, Emily
Halling, Maja
Johansson, Henrik
Lithner, Delilah
Ohlauson, Cecilia