From quantal counts to mechanisms and systems: the past, present, and future of biometrics in environmental toxicology.

As appreciation for human impact on the environment has developed, so have the experimental systems and associated statistical tools that quantify this impact. Toxicological study in particular has grown in its complexity and its need for advanced statistical support. Within this perspective, we describe statistical practice in environmental toxicology and risk assessment. We present two case studies, one from mammalian toxicology and one from aquatic toxicology, that highlight the evolution of statistical practice in environmental toxicology.