Trace Element Speciation and the Quality of Surface Waters: An Introduction to the Scope for Research

Abstract

Considerable research effort has been devoted by environmental scientists to measuring the concentrations of biologically-important trace elements in surface waters (McNeely et al., 1979; Florence and Batley, 1980; Förstner and Wittmann, 1981). This body of work has set the stage for a major thrust towards a profound understanding of the impact of trace elements on biota; it is now generating an increasing need to couple the development of chemical analytical technology to process-related biological problems. Current technology development strives to measure concentrations, for a given trace element, of those particular physico-chemical forms (or chemical species) which are biologically active. Concurrently, a new focus is being imposed on ecological impact studies, that of determining which active trace element species merit the most intensive research from the standpoint of environmental perturbation. From the point of view of environmental management, this major thrust should be directed towards the development of chemical speciation schemes which can be related directly to measures of bioavailability. With such a focus in mind, NATO supported my organizational role in the 1981 state-of-the-art Workshop which has led to this volume of the same title.