Aquatic toxicology is the study of toxic effects of chemicals on living organisms in the aquatic environment. In the past, South Africa has generally relied on chemical monitoring for water quality management: this is a combination of end-of-pipe discharge standards for polluters (e.g. industries), and collecting water chemistry measurements from water bodies (e.g. rivers and dams). The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) therefore has developed an extensive water quality network for SA, based on routine sampling of water bodies and analysing samples for their chemical profile.