Impact of biodegradation test methods on the development and applicability of biodegradation QSARs

The biodegradability of a substance depends on the structure and physical form of the substance, the time that has been available for acclimation, and the environmental conditions. Importantly, these later factors can be just as important as structure in determining the outcome of a biodegradation test. The development of appropriate QSARs for biodegradation and the ultimate value of the final QSAR depends on understanding these factors. This paper will describe what is known about the effect of test conditions on the results of biodegradation tests. The ability of these tests to reflect real environmental conditions will also be examined. Finally, we will discuss what we believe, in the light of this information, should be the goal of biodegradation QSARs and how these QSARs can be most appropriately used in fate assessments.