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Chemical speciation and bioavailability of elements in the environment and their relevance to radioecology
G M Desmet1, L R van Loon, B J Howard
1Radiation Protection Programme, Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, Belgium.
The Science of the Total Environment
|March 1, 1991
Abstract:
The commonly used terms 'chemical speciation' and 'bioavailability' are discussed and an attempt made to produce both qualitative and quantitative descriptions of their influence on the transfer of elements in the environment. The importance of considering the presence of the many different species of radionuclides which may occur in the environment is emphasized. The limitations of using concentration ratios, which take no account of the differing bioavailability of various chemical species of radionuclides, are discussed.