The Development of De Novo Biomonitoring Programmes for Trace Contaminants

Abstract

Although the use of biomonitoring techniques for studying trace contaminants in aquatic ecosystems has become widespread in certain areas of the world, many regions are yet to be studied through such methods. Significant proportions of the fresh and marine waters of the western nations have been insufficiently characterised in terms of their exposure to trace metals, organochlorines or petroleum-derived hydrocarbons. However, the greatest areas of unknown in terms of aquatic contamination involve the inland and coastal waters of subtropical and tropical areas (Phillips, 1991). There is an urgent need to produce reliable data on these ecosystems, as the nations of the tropical zone (many of which are presently in the developing category) are experiencing rapid increases in both populations and industrial expansion (see Chapter 2), and rely heavily on seafoods as a source of protein. It may be accepted that the problems of aquatic contamination suffered in the western nations of the northern hemisphere will also emerge in the developing nations, particularly as pollution controls in the latter are in their infancy (Beanlands and Si, 1988; Phillips and Tanabe, 1989).