Comparative analysis of the potential of different organisms, food chains, and ecosystems to accumulate organic contaminants

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Environmental organic chemists seek to understand, describe and predict how organic contaminants behave in the physical and biological environment, with the aim to anticipate and quantify chemical exposure of organisms. A comparative approach to exposure assessment has proven particular effective, whereby the practice of comparing the environmental behaviour of different organic contaminants is well established. Chemical fate in the environment is being related to chemical properties in order to address the question: "What chemical property combinations are resulting in highest organism exposure?" Less common is a complementary perspective that seeks to relate chemical exposure to environmental characteristics in order to address the question: "What environments are most vulnerable to organic chemical contamination because they effectively accumulate contaminants?" The overall rationale of the proposed research program is to gain a mechanistic and quantitative understanding of the processes that lead to the accumulation of organic contaminants in the physical environment, in food webs, in different species, and in individuals, including humans. This understanding in turn will allow us to appreciate and anticipate differences in the vulnerability of organisms, food webs, and ultimately ecosystems to the accumulation of organic contaminants.