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The Ratios of Individual Chemicals in a Mixture Determine the Degree of Joint Effect: The Climax Hypothesis

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Abstract

A new hypothesis, the Climax Hypothesis, is proposed to describe how the ratios of individual chemicals influence the joint effects of chemical mixtures. This hypothesis is derived from a generalized approach using “isobolograms.” With this hypothesis, one can predict that for a given mixture, a curvilinear correlation exists between the joint effects and the ratios of individual chemicals and that this curve has a climax at the equitoxic ratio. This prediction is supported by the observed toxicity to Vibrio fischeri of 18 mixtures (12 binary mixtures, 4 ternary mixtures, and 2 quaternary mixtures). With this prediction, the Climax Hypothesis has some promising applications such as controlling the discharge of effluents in environmental science, maximizing detoxifying effects in medicine, and optimizing combined pesticides in agriculture.

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Acknowledgments

This work was sponsored by the Creative Foundation of South China Sea Institute of Oceanology; the National Natural Science Foundation of the PRC; the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, PRC; the Opening Foundation of Key Laboratory of Marine and Estuarine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture (No. 0301); the Superintendent Foundation of South China Sea Institute of Oceanology; Chinese Academy of Sciences Project No. ZKCX2-SW-212; the NFSC Outstanding Youth Grant of National Natural Science Foundation of P.R.C. No. 40125016; and the key Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Province No. 2002A3050103.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, People’s Republic of China

    Z. Lin & K. Yin

  2. Key Laboratory of Marine and Estuarine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, 200090, P. R. China

    Z. Lin

  3. Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China

    Z. Ping

  4. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, National Environmental Protection Agency, Nanjing, 210042, People’s Republic of China

    D. Kong

  5. Department of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, People’s Republic of China

    Z. Cai

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  1. Z. Lin
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  2. Z. Ping
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  3. D. Kong
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  4. K. Yin
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Correspondence to Z. Lin.

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Lin, Z., Ping, Z., Kong, D. et al. The Ratios of Individual Chemicals in a Mixture Determine the Degree of Joint Effect: The Climax Hypothesis. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 49, 1–8 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-003-0206-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-003-0206-2

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