Mixture Toxicity

In the environment, substances from various sources are mixed and influence organisms and, consequently, the functioning balance of the ecosystems. Assessments and regulations have exclusively dealt with the effects of individual substances to date. However, this is not enough because the toxicity of a mixture is usually higher than that of an individual substance. Toxic mixture effects may also occur if all mixture components are present in concentrations that are harmless if taken individually. This especially applies to substances with similar mechanisms of action, such as substances with an estrogen-like effect that accumulate from numerous sources like drugs, synthetic materials, or industrial chemicals.  Also in soils, the mixture toxicity of substances such as pesticides poses a challenge. The Ecotox Centre is working on a range of projects to develop practical solutions for assessing mixture toxicity.