A Brief Insight into the Toxicity Conundrum: Modeling, Measuring, Monitoring and Evaluating Ecotoxicity for Water Quality towards Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

In view of the continuous increment of industrial residues, the risk associated with chemical toxicity in the environment has piqued the interest of researchers in pursuit of an alternative methodology for mitigating the apparent toxicity of chemicals. Over the past decade, the applicability of toxicity models and the evaluation of the apparent toxicity of chemicals have been examined for achieving sustainability of the environment and improving water quality. The prediction of toxicant effects with reasonable accuracy in organisms of water bodies and other environmental compartments lies in the application of a chemical toxicity model with further risk assessment analysis. This review summarizes well-known and recent advances of modeling techniques to evaluate and monitor toxicity in the environment. Chemical toxicity models such as the individual-based concentration addition (CA), independent action (IA) and whole-mixture-based concentration addition-independent action (CAIA) are considered, as well as their environmental applications, specific case studies, and further research needs towards sustainability. The gap that needs to be overcome in toxicity studies for the environmental sustainability is noted based on the aspects of environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology, sufficient laboratory equipment, data availability and resources for relevant social parameters needed for investigation.