Speciation, bioavailability and toxicity of trace metals in the aquatic environment

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Since the beginning of the 20th century, industrial activities have greatly increased the rates at which metals circulate through our environment. The resulting contamination of our air, water and soil by "toxic metals" is recognized as one the major environmental problems faced by society. However, the mere presence of a contaminant in the environment, as detected by a competent analytical chemist, does not necessarily mean that the contaminant is detrimental to environmental quality - this is especially true for metals, since metals are naturally present in the environment, and since the same metal may be present in various different forms or «species» («speciation» = metal distribution among these forms). Some metal species are relatively innocuous, whereas other species of the same metal may be highly toxic.