Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 6.2
Possible hierarchical structure of a bioindicative toolbox model for integrative approaches
in human- and eco-toxicology. The toolboxes MED and ECO contain single sets of tests that can
be combined functionally to allow an integrated approach to the particular frame of reference or a
specific scientific problem. The toolboxes
HSB
(human specimen banking) and
ESB
(environmen-
tal specimen banking) represent years of results from international environmental sample banks
specializing in environmental and human toxicology; in addition to MED and ECO, they provide
an important information on the ecotoxicological and human-toxicological behavior of environ-
mental chemicals. In the integrated approach, all the results obtained singly are substantiated by
existing basic data available from (eco-) systems research, toxicology and environmental sample
banks. The parameter constellations necessary for this are taken from the toolboxes TRE and DAT
(Markert et al.
2003b
)
meet the comprehensive precautionary expectations of toxicology only if investi-
gations are combined into a biointegrative approach in a systematic manner. Thus
both temporal trends of environmental burdening and newly developing centres of
pollution can be identified. For this purpose, (Markert et al.
2003b
) designed the
Multi-Markered-Bioindication-Concept (MMBC; Fig.
6.2
); This approach depends
on some combinations of ecotoxicological data-sets with those from human medi-
cine (especially toxicology). This method which is based on “tool boxes” (cp. the
explanations for Fig.
6.2
) thus implies an approach integrating different instrumen-
tal and bioindicative methods.
