Fish Ecotoxicology

During the 1980s and 1990s, ecotoxicology has established its place as an interdisciplinary science concerned about the effects of chemicals on populations and ecosystems, thus bridging the gap between biological and environmental sciences, ecology, chemistry and traditional toxicology. In modern ecotoxicology, fish have become the major vertebrate model. This volume summarizes present knowledge in several fields of primary ecotoxicological interest, ranging from the use of (ultra)structural modifications of selected cell systems as sources of biomarkers for environmental impact, to monitoring the impact of xenobiotics in fish. Also examined are: the importance of early life-stage tests with fish; the bioaccumulation of xenobiotics in fish; the origin of liver neoplastic lesions in small fish species; immunocytochemical approaches to monitoring effects in sytochrome P450-related biotransformation; the impact of heavy metals in soft water systems; the environmental toxicology of organotin compounds; oxidative stress in fish by environmental pollutants; and effects by oestrogenic substances in aquatic systems.