Contamination and Ecosystem Biomonitoring

Abstract

This lecture handout addresses environmental contamination and ecosystem biomonitoring from an ecotoxicological and applied ecology perspective. It explains how pollutants of chemical, physical, and biological origin enter air, water, soil, and living organisms, causing disturbances at different levels of biological organization. The document emphasizes the role of biomonitoring as a scientific approach based on living organisms that reveal environmental quality, pollutant exposure, and ecosystem health.

The content focuses on the effects of pollutants on species and populations, including pollution indicator species, quality indicators, bioaccumulating organisms, and sentinel species. It also examines toxicity assessment, dose-response relationships, interspecific interactions, and adaptive mechanisms such as tolerance and resistance. The course further presents pollutant monitoring methods, acute and chronic toxicity bioassays, physiological and biochemical biomarkers, risk assessment tools, and prediction of bioaccumulation in trophic networks. Case studies include biocides, plant protection products, and heavy or trace metals