ABSTRACT
Procedures for determining the distribution of xenobiotics between aqueous and sediment phases are presented. Brief comments are devoted to the partitioning of xenobiotics between the aquatic phase and the atmosphere and to the significance of atmospheric transport on a global scale. The dissemination of a xenobiotic after discharge into the aquatic environment is determined by its partition between the water, sediment, and atmospheric phases and its potential for concentration in biota. Correlations between bioconcentration potential and various parameters, such as water solubility, octanol-water partition, and relative mobility on reversed-phase chromatographic systems, has been demonstrated and may be considered satisfactory if agreement within a power of ten is achieved. For aquatic organisms, bioconcentration is the accumulation of a chemical from the aqueous phase; exposure takes place only via the water, although the compound may exist either in the dissolved form or associated with dissolved organic material. Increasing evidence points to the specific role of lipids in determining bioconcentration potential.
