Abstract
The behavior of a foreign compound, once introduced into the environment, depends upon the nature of the compound and its interaction with the physical, chemical, and biological components of the ecosystem. It is important to understand the interaction of exogenous compounds with the ecosystem, because only in this way can the potential human health effects of these compounds be predicted. This paper outlines the various parameters that must be considered when predicting the fate of a compound in the environment. An example is then given which relates these factors to the distribution and fate of arsenical compounds.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, AC, Reimers, RS, Abdelghani, AA: Fate of toxic materials in aquatic systems—a testing protocol, in Hemphill, D. D. (Ed.)Trace Substances in Environmental Health—XVII, Columbia, Mo., U. of Missouri, 1984.
Lyman, WF, Reehl, WF, Rosenblatt, DH:Handbook of Chemical Property Estimation Methods—Environmental Behavior of Organic Compounds, New York, McGraw Hill Book Company, 1982. pp 5,1–6,25.
Casarett, LJ, Doull, J (Eds.):Toxicology, The Basic Science of Poisons, New York, MacMillan, Inc., 1980. pp 632–658.
Wood, JM: Biological cycles for toxic elements in the environment.Science,183(4129: 1049–52, 1974.
Butler, GC (Ed.):Principles of Ecotoxicology, Chichester, John Wiley, pp 11–69, 1978.
Reimers, RS, Englande, AJ: Disposal problems and mitigation techniques for hazardous wastes, for technical workshop on hazardous wastes monitoring for the Texas quality board by enviro-Med laboratories (Ruston, Louisiana), Austin, Texas, 1980.
Crosby, DG, Moilanen, KW, Wong, AS: Environmental generation and degradation of dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans,Environ. Health Perspect.5:259–66, 1973.
Felsot, A, and Dahn, PA: Sorption of organophosphoras and carbamate insecticides by Soil.J. Agr. Food Chem.,27: 557–563, 1979.
Audus, LJ (Ed.):Herbicides, London Academic Press, pp 77–93, 1976.
Reimers, RS, Anderson, AC: Environmental toxicology-physical-chemical parameters,J. Env. Health 45(6: 288–290, 1984.
Anderson, AC: Environmental toxicology—biological parameters,J. Environ. Health 45(5: 231–233, 1983.
Edwards, CA:Persistent Pesticides in the Environment, Cleveland, Ohio, CRC, 1970.
National Academy of Sciences, “Arsenic,” The National Research Council, pp 18, 1977.
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs, Criteria and Evaluation Division, “Substitute Chemical Program,” Initial Scientific Review of MSMA/DSMA, pp 3–107, 1975.
Abdelghani, AA, Reimers, RS, Anderson, AC, Englande, Jr., AJ, Lo, CP, Shariatpanahi, M:Transport and Distribution of Arsenic in Sediments in Heavy Metals in the Environment, WHO, ECE, pp 665–668, 1981.
Johnson, LR, Hiltbold, AE: “Arsenic Content of Soils and Crops Following Use of MSMA Herbicide,”Proc. Soil Sci. Am., Vol.33 279–282, 1969.
Anderson, AC, Abdelghani, AA, Hughes, J, Mason, JW: Accumulation of MSMA in the fruit of the blackberry (Rubus sp),J. Environ. Sci. & Health,B15(3: 247–258, 1958.
Grover, R, Hance, RJ: Adsorption of some herbicides by soil and roots,Canadian J. of Plant and Sci., Vol.49 pp 378–380, 1969.
Abdelghani, A, Anderson, A, Englande, AJ, Mason, JW, deKernion, P:Demethylation of MSMA by Soil Microorganisms, Trace Substances in Environmental Health—XI, D. D. Hemphill, ed., University of Missouri (Columbia), pp 419–426, 1977.
Furguson, JF, Gavis, J:A Review of the Arsenic Cycle in Natural Waters, Water Research, Pergamon Press, Vol. 6, Pp 1259–1274, 1972.
Woolson, EA: Fate of arsenicals in different environmental substrates,Environ. Health Perspect.,19: 73–81, 1961.
Lisella, FS et al.: Health aspects of arsenicals in the environment,J. of Env. Health,34(5: 511–519, 1972.
Ullman, WW, Schaefer, RW: Arsenic Accumulation by fish in lakes treated with sodium arsenite,J.W.P.C.F.,33: 416–418, 1961.
Crecelius, EA: Changes in the chemical speciation of arsenic following ingestion by man,Env. Health Perspect.,19: 147–150, 1977.
Chapman, AC: On the presence of compounds of arsenic in marine crustaceans and shellfish,Analyst,51: 548–563, 1926.
Hogan, RB, Eagle, H: The pharmacologic basis for the widely varying toxicity of arsenicals,J. Pharmacol. and Exp. Therapeut.,80: 93–113, 1944.
Additional information
Thanks are expressed to the Environmental Trace Substances Research Center, University of Missouri for permission to reproduce the figure.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Anderson, A.C., Abdelghani, A.A. Fate of foreign compounds in the environment. J Community Health 10, 172–179 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323959
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323959