A broad field of study encompassing the production, fate, and effects of natural and synthetic pollutants in the environment. The breadth of this field depends on the definition of environment. It can be defined as narrowly as the home and workplace or as broadly as the entire Earth and its biosphere. Environmental toxicology is truly an interdisciplinary science. The effects of a pollutant on the environment depend on the amount released (the dose) and its chemical and physical properties. Pollutants can be grouped according to their origin and effects.