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research article

Interactions between effects of environmental chemicals and natural stressors: A review

Holmstrup, Martin
•
Bindesbøl, Anne-Mette
•
Oostingh, Gertie Janneke
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2010
Science of The Total Environment

Ecotoxicological effect studies often expose test organisms under optimal environmental conditions. However, organisms in their natural settings rarely experience optimal conditions. On the contrary, during most of their lifetime they are forced to cope with sub-optimal conditions and occasionally with severe environmental stress. Interactions between the effects of a natural stressor and a toxicant can sometimes result in greater effects than expected from either of the stress types alone. The aim of the present review is to provide a synthesis of existing knowledge on the interactions between effects of "natural" and chemical (anthropogenic) stressors. More than 150 studies were evaluated covering stressors including heat, cold, desiccation, oxygen depletion, pathogens and immunomodulatory factors combined with a variety of environmental pollutants. This evaluation revealed that synergistic interactions between the effects of various natural stressors and toxicants are not uncommon phenomena. Thus, synergistic interactions were reported in more than 50% of the available studies on these interactions. Antagonistic interactions were also detected, but in fewer cases. Interestingly, about 70% of the tested chemicals were found to compromise the immune system of humans as judged from studies on human cell lines. The challenge for future studies will therefore be to include aspects of combined stressors in effect and risk assessment of chemicals in the environment. © 2009 Elsevier B.V.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.10.067
Author(s)
Holmstrup, Martin
Bindesbøl, Anne-Mette
Oostingh, Gertie Janneke
Duschl, Albert
Scheil, Volker
Köhler, Heinz-R.
Loureiro, Susana
Soares, Amadeu M.V.M.
Ferreira, Abel L.G.
Kienle, Cornelia
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Date Issued

2010

Publisher

Elsevier

Published in
Science of The Total Environment
Volume

408

Issue

18

Start page

3746

End page

3762

Editorial or Peer reviewed

NON-REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
ECOTOX  
Available on Infoscience
November 10, 2014
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/108556
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