2. Methods for exploring the toxicity of environmental contaminants in vitro

Constantly evolving methodological developments have increased the reliability and sensitivity of tests for studying the toxicity of environmental contaminants in vitro, on living cell cultures. Complementary and combined, these techniques can be used to establish correlations between exposure and deleterious biological effects, and to analyze the biological mechanisms involved. In this way, they contribute to the body of knowledge needed to assess hazards and risks.

Environmental pollutants can alter cellular function and induce deleterious biological effects via a variety of mechanisms. A number of methods can be used to study these effects in vitro, by measuring various toxicity markers or analyzing changes in cellular processes. These methods can be used to assess the impact of environmental contaminants on cell viability, cell proliferation or apoptosis. It...