title: Is the integration of hormesis and essentiality into ecotoxicology now opening Pandora's Box?
abstract: Hormesis and essentiality are likely real and common effects at the level of the individual. However, the widespread incorporation of stimulatory effects into applications of ecotoxicology requires the acceptance of assumptions, value judgements and possibly lowering of water/sediment quality standards. There is also currently little data appropriate for considering hormetic effects in the ecotoxicological context. Except perhaps in the case of fitting concentration-response curves, it is not clear that incorporation of hormetic and essentiality type responses into ecotoxicology is necessary. Furthermore, its incorporation presents considerable intellectual and practical changes for ecotoxicology and could have unanticipated consequences.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Environmental Biology, School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. ben.kefford@rmit.edu.au
authors.forename: Ben J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kefford
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zalizniak
authors.forename: Michael St J
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Warne
authors.forename: Dayanthi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nugegoda
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D004463:Ecology; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000592:standards*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants