Ecokinetics: A study of the fate and distribution of chemicals in laboratory ecosystems

Abstract

Abstract The anticipated kinetic behavior of different amounts or forms of a chemical in the environment can be studied by introducing the chemical into a laboratory ecosystem, collecting samples of the different components of the system at various times, and obtaining a sequence of concentrations of the chemical and/or its metabolites. Conventional compartmental models can be used to characterize this concentration‐time data in order to better predict the distribution and ultimate fate of a chemical introduced into the environment, to provide a quantitative measure for helping assess the environmental impact of different chemicals, and to reduce the cost of expensive laboratory testing and field work.