Alan G. Heath David J. Hoffman Barnett A. Rattner G. Allen Burton Jr. John Cairns Jr. Barnett A. Rattner 2003 <p><span>Physical and natural factors have long been known to influence the toxicity of environmental contaminants to vertebrates. The majority of data that address this topic have been derived from studies on fish, highly inbred laboratory rodents, and man.' The degree to which these factors modify toxicity has principally been elucidated by controlled laboratory experiments. Until recently, the significance of such effects to free-ranging vertebrates Figure 23.1 was frequently overlooked in ecological risk assessments.' Drawing upon controlled experiments and observational science, we overview environmental factors that influence pollutant toxicity in fish and wildlife, and present some perspective on their ecotoxicological significance.</span></p> application/pdf 10.1201/9781420032505.ch23 en Lewis Publishers Environmental factors affecting contaminant toxicity in aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates chapter