ecotoxicology

noun

eco·​tox·​i·​col·​o·​gy ˌē-kō-ˌtäk-si-ˈkä-lə-jē  ˌe-kō- 

: a scientific discipline combining the methods of ecology and toxicology in studying the effects of toxic substances and especially pollutants on the environment

ecotoxicological

ˌē-kō-ˌtäk-si-kə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

ˌe-kō-

adjective

ecotoxicologist

ˌē-kō-ˌtäk-si-ˈkä-lə-jist 

ˌe-kō-

noun

Examples of ecotoxicology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Previous cocaine ecotoxicology research had only been conducted in laboratory tanks. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026

Plus, a one-time treatment won’t cut it, says Jing Zhai, the research director of ecotoxicology and specialty products at global testing laboratory Eurofins, who has extensive experience with bed bugs. — Amina Lake Abdelrahman, Good Housekeeping, 8 Apr. 2019

Today, some researchers are studying how the animals accomplish their striking feats of regeneration, while others use them in ecotoxicology studies; cephalopods even guide research into the origins of consciousness. — Danna Staaf, Science | AAAS, 4 Apr. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ecotoxicology

• anesthesiology
• epidemiology
• ethnomethodology
• ethnomusicology
• gastroenterology
• immunobiology
• immunopathology
• neuropharmacology
• neurophysiology
• neuroradiology
• otolaryngology
• paleobiology

Medical Definition

ecotoxicology

noun

eco·​tox·​i·​col·​o·​gy ˌē-kō-ˌtäk-si-ˈkäl-ə-jē  ˌek-ō- 

plural ecotoxicologies

: a scientific discipline combining the methods of ecology and toxicology in studying the effects of toxic substances and especially pollutants on the environment

ecotoxicological

-kə-ˈläj-i-kəl 

adjective

ecotoxicologist

-ˈkäl-ə-jəst 

noun