Why Is Metal Bioaccumulation So Variable? Biodynamics as a Unifying Concept

Ecological risks from metal contaminants are difficult to document because responses differ among species, threats differ among metals, and environmental influences are complex. Unifying concepts are needed to bettertie together such complexities. Here we suggest that a biologically based conceptualization, the biodynamic model, provides the necessary unification for a key aspect in risk: metal bioaccumulation (internal exposure). The model is mechanistically based, but empirically considers geochemical influences, biological differences, and differences among metals. Forecasts from the model agree closely with observations from nature, validating its basic assumptions. The biodynamic metal bioaccumulation…

• UG
  U.S. Geological Survey