Re-Evaluating Ecotoxicology with Thermal Fluctuations

Abstract

ecotoxicology (n): the field of study in which an organism’s physiological response to foreign substances is assessed Traditional ecotoxicology values standardization, which means that organisms are exposed to chemicals at a fixed temperature. ectothermic (adj): referring to an organism which does not metabolically maintain its own body heat A fish is an ectothermic animal whose metabolic rate is determined by ambient temperature, which can fluctuate throughout the day. field conditions (n): the often variable abiotic and biotic factors that characterize a habitat An experiment held at constant temperatures does not mimic field conditions, where daily cycles of warm and cool occur. vanadium pentoxide (n): V2O5; a little-studied chemical found in a wide variety of industrial and manufacturing contexts Few environmental regulations are in place controlling levels of permissible vanadium pentoxide in waterways.