Environmental Toxicology Group
環境毒理学グループ
Knowledge gaps in traditional ecological risk assessment
The diagram shows gaps in traditional ecological risk assessment, detailing steps from planning to risk management and highlighting biological organization from molecule to biosphere. Field studies apply to higher levels, while molecular biology applies to lower levels. But conclusions from toxicology studies at lower levels cannot be extrapolated to bigger ecological communities, especially for toxic, diffuse, non-recyclable pollutants.
Research Area 1:
Exposure experiments with ecological relevance
To investigate the ecological processes and interactions within different levels of biological organization: populations, communities, and ecosystems. Specifically, the study aims to:
1. Analyze the impact of environmental factors, such as microplastics, on populations of single-species groups like microalgae and bacteria.
2. Examine the interspecific relationships and ecological functions within communities, focusing on predation, competition, and the dynamics of food chains, to understand the complexities added by interactions across different trophic levels.
3. Explore the integration of organisms with their abiotic environment within ecosystems using controlled microcosms and biomolecular network analysis, ensuring precise control and monitoring of all aspects of the simulated ecosystems to understand the intricate network of interactions and dependencies.
Through this multi-level approach, the experiment seeks to provide comprehensive insights into the ecological processes that govern the behavior and interactions of organisms in various biological contexts.