FINGERMAN, Milton; Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.: A retrospective look at the development of ecotoxicology from Rachel Carson to the present.

The publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” in 1962 ushered in the beginning of a global awareness of the effects of environmental contaminants on both invertebrates and vertebrates. Since then the field of ecotoxicology, or environmental toxicology, has developed into one that involves studies of the biochemistry, physiology, endocrinology, reproduction, behavior, growth, and development of a wide array of animals. The studies in my laboratory have centered on the effects of heavy metals and organic pollutants on endocrine-mediated functions in crustaceans, particularly the red swamp crayfish and the fiddler crab. These substances were found to have negative effects on reproduction, molting, blood glucose levels, and pigmentary effectors. With the increasing awareness of the importance of ecotoxicology many talented investigators have been attracted to such studies, studies involving a wide range of organisms, including the human. I have witnessed the development of this field from the Rachel Carson years, and given the impressive talents of particularly the younger investigators entering the field, those of us who hope to see a cleaner environment have reason to be optimistic.